Balsamic vinegar: recipes, history, benefits

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Balsamic vinegar: recipes, history, benefits
Balsamic vinegar: recipes, history, benefits
Anonim

Until quite recently, such a name as "balsamic" sounded to us like any misunderstood word in an unfamiliar language. When someone mentions the phrase "balsamic vinegar," recipes aren't the first thing that comes to mind. But it is in cooking that this seasoning is used the most.

History of Appearance

Today, this product boasts almost a thousand years of history. All this time, a lot has been happening in the world - the borders of states have changed, geniuses and villains have appeared and disappeared, and only balsamic vinegar has remained invariably of high quality and divine in taste.

balsamic vinegar recipes
balsamic vinegar recipes

It all started in 1046, when the newly minted French king received a barrel of balsamic vinegar as a gift. And then, as they say, it started. Balsamic began to be used as a panacea for many diseases (even the plague), wounds were treated with it and taken orally. After that, its taste qualities were also appreciated, or rather, the taste that the products acquired if balsamic vinegar was added to them. Recipes with it fell like a cornucopia, and soon it was the culinary sphere that became the main place for using balsamic.

The special value of this vinegar glorified the place of its creation throughout the world. Now the city of Modena is the birthplace of Italian black gold known to all gourmets, chefs and just lovers.

Creation process

Creating a product of this quality is costly. First of all, it concerns time. It takes a minimum of 12 years to make high quality balsamic vinegar. And here you can’t get around this requirement - strict quality control will not only prevent such a product from being sold, but can deprive the family of the right to produce it, and this will be a big blow. After all, only 300 respected families produce balsamic vinegar, the recipes of which are kept in strict confidence and are inherited. Yes, and the mark tradizionale is worth it. This mark, by the way, means that the vinegar is of high quality and produced according to a traditional recipe.

Balsamic vinegar price
Balsamic vinegar price

So, the creation process begins with the selection of grapes of a certain variety. Then they are boiled down to grape must, while the loss is approximately 40%. Then this wort begins to defend in wooden barrels made of different types of wood, each of which gives the vinegar its own aroma. Seasonings are added in the process (their composition is kept in strict confidence), and after 12 years of infusion in different barrels, the final product will be ready. Barrels, by the way, are also inherited from generation to generation. The output is very little of the final product, and the evaporated part is called the "share of angels." The result is dark, almost black, in color and very thick.

Use

The most famous and deservedly loved dish with this seasoning is a salad with balsamic vinegar. By mixing a couple of drops of balsamic with olive oil, you get a wonderful dressing with an original taste. Best of all, balsamic vinegar is combined with tomatoes, Italians simply cannot imagine a salad with tomatoes without balsamic. But he also feels adequate with other vegetables.

Salad with balsamic vinegar
Salad with balsamic vinegar

Also, many people know the property of vinegar to soften the fibers of meat, keep it much longer than it is possible without balsamic, and also help the meat flavor to open up by adding its own notes.

In general, Italians, adding balsamic vinegar, choose any recipes. It goes equally well with pizza, pasta, and salads. The latest culinary discovery that gourmets love is Strawberry Balsamic.

When using balsamic vinegar, it should be remembered that its taste and useful qualities are better preserved without heat treatment. Although in some dishes it is added during the cooking process.

Balsamic vinegar: benefits and harms

The beneficial qualities of balsamic were discovered long before it was used as a condiment. It was from the word "balm" that its name came, since it was originally a medicine.

Balsamic vinegar benefits and harms
Balsamic vinegar benefits and harms

It disinfects water, has an analgesic effect, kills microbes (both outside the body and inside). In addition to this, balsamic vinegar fights cholesterol and inflammation, and also has a weighty list of important vitamins and compounds for humans.

Harmful effects of vinegar on the body for so many centuries have not been found. The only thing is that it should be used with caution by people who have high acidity.

How much does it cost

Given the difficulties in preparing this product, you should not expect to buy a real product inexpensively. Of course, on the shelves in supermarkets you can see a bottle of cheap balsamic, but it will be a product created with the help of flavors and chemical additives, of course, it’s not worth remembering any twelve-year aging, 3-4 years is the maximum. But even among them there are quite worthy options that almost do not differ in taste from the original.

For real balsamic vinegar, the price will depend on the exposure. After 12 years, the product is called young, this is the minimum time that balsamic must stand in the attic. A bottle of a young product will be marked with a beige or red cork (depending on the place of production), and the cost of 100 g will be from 40 euros. Mature vinegar with 25 years of exposure will be marked with a gold-colored stopper and will cost the buyer from 70 euros per 100 grams.

What can replace

Given the rather high cost of balsamic vinegar, how to replace such a delicious seasoning, many cooks and housewives are thinking.

Don't try to make balsamic at home, you won't be able to make a decent product if you don't have barrels made of certain types of wood, a cellar and twelve years left.

Balsamic vinegar substitute
Balsamic vinegar substitute

You can buy inexpensive balsamic in the supermarket, through trial and error, find a company that produces a more or less worthy replacement. In a very extreme case, you can use wine vinegar. It's not exactly the same as balsamic, but if you add seasonings to taste and let it brew for at least a couple of days, it can make a good seasoning, similar to balsamic vinegar.

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