If you compare vinegar, such as wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, with a balsamic, the first thing you will notice is that balsamics are less sour and at the same time sweet. With a very good balsamic, you can also discover additional notes such as caramel, fruit, and wood notes.
Accordingly, the use of vinegar and balsamic vinegars also differs. Vinegar is used in the kitchen to add acidity to a dish. Since vinegar must have an acidity of 5% by definition, it brings a lot of acidity to a dish if it is not buffered. In balsamic vinegars, the acidity is buffered by their sweetness. Additionally, they give dishes greater complexity beyond the acidity. Very good, long-aged, and therefore expensive balsamic vinegars are added only drop by drop as a "finishing" to a dish.
The consistency of vinegar and balsamic is also different. While vinegar is thin and watery, a balsamic can be thick and syrupy if it has been aged long enough.
The differences in taste and texture are explained by the different manufacturing processes and ingredients.
In the production of vinegar, alcohol is fermented into acetic acid.
For balsamics, in the case of Balsamico Tradizionale, grape must is cooked and thickened to concentrate the flavors. Then, a long-aged balsamic vinegar and some wine are added for fermentation. After that, a long maturation in wooden barrels takes place. Due to the simultaneous evaporation, the balsamic becomes increasingly viscous during the aging process.
In balsamic vinegars of lower quality than the Tradizionale, a less elaborate production process is used, and additives are employed to try to match the product to the flavor profile of a Balsamico Tradizionale.
Here is a recipe for preparing Italian Caprese salad with traditional Aceto Balsamico.
Ingredients:
- 4 large tomatoes
- 500 g mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil leaves
- Native extra virgin olive oil
- Traditional Balsamic Vinegar (Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Slice mozzarella and tomatoes
- Arrange alternating slices of tomato and mozzarella cheese on a plate.
- Insert fresh basil leaves between the tomato and mozzarella slices.
- Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
- Drizzle with traditional balsamic vinegar.
This Caprese salad with traditional balsamic vinegar is a perfect presentation of the flavors of Italian cuisine. The sweetness of the balsamic vinegar complements the freshness of the tomatoes and mozzarella.
