They say about balsamic vinegar, that it is very expensive ...

When considering Italian cuisine asThe ethnic and cultural phenomenon is first and foremost struck by its apparent simplicity. Ingredients are usually the most common, at least for the nature of the Apennine peninsula. Flour, olives, meat, vegetables, herbs - these are the main sources of taste and usefulness of dishes prepared and consumed by Italians. And, of course, seasoning.

Recently, interest to this side has increasedMediterranean cooking. In the stores and supermarkets there were sets of herbs, sauces for spaghetti, pasta and pasta, cooked according to Italian recipes or made in this country. In the fine restaurants began to offer dishes, which include balsamic vinegar. What is it, and what does it eat?

The birthplace of this unusual seasoning has becomethe north-Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, in which are located such famous cities as Parma, Modena and Ravenna. The peculiarity of the nature there - fertile soils, enabling to grow almost everything you can imagine. It was here that the art of cooking a delicious and healing seasoning, which is balsamic vinegar, arose. Buy it can anyone who has a hundred dollars - that's what it costs a hundred gram bottle.

"Balsamic" is another name for this product. In appearance, it looks like a dark syrup of thick consistency, and taste is sour-sweet. The scent of the fragrance is very rich, so with ordinary wine vinegar, obtained from sour wine, it has little in common. Literally a few drops of this substance make the most prosaic products (like tomato, cucumber, cheese, meat or pasta) into a perfect culinary creation, enriched with unusual taste nuances.

In 1046, King Henry II of the MarquisBonifacio sent a barrel containing balsamic vinegar. "What is this?" - the monarch was surprised. After the appropriate explanations, he decided to try the seasoning, and was very pleased with the gift. Since then, among the Italian nobility, a tradition has developed to express sympathy for each other, presenting this delicacy spice. Secrets of production for centuries are kept secret by three hundred Moden aristocratic families, although in general terms it is widely known about balsamic vinegar that it is grape juice, which is cooked to a syrup, in which then acetic acid is added to make it "play." Then the product is exposed in barrels, and first in oak, and then - made of fruit tree species. The final stage of production is the aging of balsamic in mulberry kegs.

As in the case of cognac, the great importancehas time spent in a wooden container: the more it is, the better. In this case, fermentation occurs cyclically - more intensively in summer, slower in winter. Balsamico Tradizionale, that is, a traditional product, requires twelve years of aging, and for obtaining particularly valuable varieties, it may take up to half a century. Real gourmets can say about balsamic vinegar that it is a delicious, expensive product. Of course, he can afford not everyone.

However, for those who do not have a puffy purse,should not be upset. Modena has developed an accelerated industrial technology that significantly reduces the cost of this seasoning. Inexpensive balsamic vinegar is the spices dissolved in ordinary wine vinegar, natural dyes and thickeners. Of course, it can not be compared with elite products, but you can still get a general idea.