Aceto balsamico di Modena, more than just a condiment!
Monday, March 20, 2023
By: Nurhan Dunford
Last year, during my sabbatical leave overseas, I had the chance to visit Dr. Giovanni Lutzu, one of the scientists I had in my research group at Oklahoma State University several years ago. Dr. Lutzu, who currently lives and works in Modena, Italy, was an excellent host. He not only showed me the microalgae cultivation facilities at the Tere Group where he works, but also played the role of a well-informed tourist guide showing me the city of Modena, a beautiful small European town with a typical town square – no cars allowed.
I have always liked balsamic vinegar on my salad, but I had no idea Modena was world-famous for its balsamic vinegar, known as Aceto balsamico di Modena. Modena is in Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. Apparently, Emilia Romagna is a region of die-hard foodies who promote local products and work hard to preserve their food history. During our sightseeing tour, we stopped at the Albinelli Food Market known as Mercato Coperto Modena, a covered market at the center of the town. Although the original Modena market was over 1,000 years old, it was moved to its current location in 1931. The structure is beautiful with wrought iron spirals, large columns and even a statue of a little girl with a basket of flowers at the center of the market.
Along with the regular stalls displaying fresh flowers, locally grown colorful fruits and vegetables, seafood, various types of bread, wine and balsamic vinegar of course, I also saw specialized stalls with descriptive names like the Casa del Formaggio, or house of cheese and stalls, selling horse meat with deep red flesh. I did not try the horse meat, but I bought a bottle of Aceto balsamico di Modena at the market and brought it back home. After tasting it, I know why Aceto balsamico di Modena is so famous and expensive, too. The taste is sublime and certainly deserves the recognition. This experience made me curious – I wanted to know why Aceto balsamico di Modena was so different than the regular balsamic vinegar that I used to buy at the mainstream grocery stores in the United States. This is what I learned:
There are three quality grades of balsamic vinegar. The lowest grade is referred to as condimento, or condiment in English, referring to all vinegars which don’t meet the IGP or DOP standards. By the way, DOP is the acronym for Denominazione di Origine Protetta, meaning Protected Designation of Origin. A product with a red DOP seal guarantees that it is strictly grown and produced using traditional methods and packaged locally. Only DOP products can be labeled as traditional. The IGP stands for Indicazione Geografica Protetta, which in English means Protected Geographical Indication. The products having a blue IGP seal guarantees that at least one phase of the production or one primary ingredient originates in a specific geographical area. As you can imagine, the products with DOP and IGP seals have higher quality and price than condiments. Italy has the highest number of specialty products certificated by the European Union with 299 products, and Aceto Balsamico di Modena (IGP) is one of them.
The production of Aceto Balsamico di Modena is a long process, and it starts with gently pressing white or red grapes. To make traditional balsamic vinegar, the grape juice, not whole grapes with skin, is cooked on an open fire outdoors within 24 hours after pressing for 36-48 hours. The reduced liquid is then transferred into a series of high-quality barrels made from durmast, chestnut, cherry wood, ash, mulberry or juniper wood built by expert coopers and then aged in cellars/attics called acetaie. I heard that the high temperature difference between the typical very hot summers and chilly winters in Modena is critical for the traditional fermentation and aging process. Over time the liquid is transferred from larger to smaller barrels as the volume of the cooked juice decreases due to evaporation from open barrels, making the balsamic more dense and sweeter. Aromas of the wood used for the barrels are soaked in the acidified grape juice during the long aging process.
Sensory tests are performed on each barrel to evaluate limpidity, flavor, color and taste of the liquid every year during the aging process. Glass pipettes are used to transfer liquid samples from barrels into glass containers. Candlelight is used for visual color and consistency evaluation of the liquid through a transparent container in backlight. Intensity, persistence of scents, acidity and taste are the important parameters for the evaluation. Often, a porcelain spoon is chosen for the sensory testing as it does not alter the flavor. The Balsamic vinegar of Modena is available in glass, wood, ceramic or terracotta bottles.
DOP Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena is top quality and only produced within the town of Modena in Italy. Traditional balsamic vinegar contains just-cooked and acidified grape juice – no additives. It must be produced between the months of September and October right after the grape harvest, using these local grape varieties: Lambrusco, Trebbiano, Sauvignon and Ancellotta. The product labels are color coded by the minimum aging time: red, 12 years; silver, 18 years; and gold, 25 years. To be designated as aged balsamic vinegar of Modena, the product must age for at least three years. Depending on the type of barrels used for storage, the vinegar will have notes of oak, cherry or other woods, a deep dark color, a thick smooth texture, an intense scent and a very aromatic sweet-and-sour flavor – no harsh vinegary notes. I read in an article that “it’s almost criminal to call this traditional Italian food vinegar, because the taste is anything but well, vinegar-y.” All Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena go through an organoleptic test by five expert tasters.
The businesses and traditions are kept in the family for generations. Balsamic barrels often are given as dowries when a daughter marries, probably because the process is so long that “one who started it may not live to see it.”
Food pairings of Aceto Balsamico di Modena are extremely broad ranging from caramelized onions, cheese, steak, Prosciutto, tomatoes, vegetables, fruits (especially strawberries) to even gelato and ice cream. Basically, you can pair it with any food. During my stay in Modena, I had it on pizza, cheese, seafood pasta and even on roasted chickpea soup. Keep in mind that it should always be drizzled on food after cooking, never during cooking, to avoid altering its aroma.
We get many of different brands of balsamic vinegar in regular grocery stores and specialty markets in U.S., but it is not easy to find authentic balsamic vinegar. It is important to note that some of the products may have added sugar to imitate the sweetness of aged balsamic. So, it is always a good idea to read the food labels and check for the authentic quality seals.
Considering that a small bottle of DOP Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena may cost a few hundred dollars, the following quotations from some of the articles I have read may help you to decide if the cost is justified and you want to try it: “Modena balsamic vinegar is love and life, in a bottle.” “To Italians, having a bottle on the table is a necessity of life, because a drop is all that’s needed. So, you'd better savor that drop, because it just cost you $10!” “If you still think balsamic is not worth the cost, I’m afraid you may have missed the point. Balsamic vinegar of Modena is not a luxury item, but rather an investment.”
Suggested readings:
https://www.withhusbandintow.com/modena-food-market/
https://www.withhusbandintow.com/acetaia-pedroni-balsamic-vinegar/