Balsamic Vinegar

Balsamic Vinegar- Can't live without having one in the kitchen!

Have you gone to the italian restaurant by served the olive oil with droppings of Balsamic Vinegar that you can dip with the fresh bread? Have you gone to the fancy restaurants that served a wonderful aroma dish of seafoods, poultries and/or beef that are being marinated with teensy bit of Balsamic Vinegar? Or you had made your homemade salad dressing by using that product as well?

I will make Balsamic Vinegar as an abbreviation as BV ok?

I was told by someone that having an expensive BV is worth to have because of the sweet flavor.

It made me thinking about this. Am I willing to break my money shell to buy like $50 dollars or higher for that special bottle of BV? Some people would buy it for sure but not all of them willing to buy that expensive bottles due of their budget reasons.

I had that thoughts and want to educate you to understand the two types of BVs and the AIB four leaf rankings before you buy a right product at the grocery store, healthy food store or online.

Two types of BVs:

1- Traditional (made in Modena, Italy that follows a strict process)

2- Commerical/Untraditional (it's blend of artisan-made or boiled grapes with wine vinegar added)

Now you had learned 2 types of BVs. Now how do I know which one is right for me? It's pretty easy simple to know a few things before you buy.

1- Look for AIB certification. AIB stands for Italian Association of Tasters for Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. It had created in 2002.

2- If you are unsure of your taste toward to BVs then you can request a few sample of it. Mostly speciality/healthy food stores do offer some samples. It will save you from buying a wrong one and wasting your money to invest into.

Also you need to know about AIB four leaf rankings that would help a lot to know by purchasing a right one.

ZERO LEAF- it is made of 95% of red vinegar with a very little traditional added along with some caramel coloring

ONE LEAF- it is a light typed with a flavor of sweet and zesty

TWO LEAVES- it's a brisk and vibrant flavored

THREE LEAVES- it's a full and smooth flavored with tangy accents - more like syrup-typed

FOUR LEAVES- it's a sweet and complex flavored with syrupy-typed.

Also please remember that AGING is important to know. Aged 12 years or higher produces more flavors, acidity, aroma and many mores. Once the aging increases then prices increases. It can be higher like $80 or even hundreds depending on which name of the BVs. It's the same ideal of making wines (you had seen the prices ranges that can be from "damn too cheap to sky-rocketed high prices").

REMEMBER that expensive ones isn't the only best ones.. Never know that inexpensive ones can be good as equilvalent as the expensive ones as LONG you are well known about the AIB certifications, the four leaf rankings, aging process and your taste buds.

Go check out the speciality stores and have those samples like William Sonoma or any stores that carries the BVs products.

Lastly, you need to know how amount that it should be added for cooking:

If you buy the BVs that are aged higher like 25-50 years then a drop or two would be enough because it's a very strong ones. It is a good for making a homemade vinaigrette or olive oil with a drop of BVs for dipping with breads.

If you buy the BVs that are aged 12 years/higher or less than 12 years then 1/4 cup of BVs would be enough to make anything as you prefer like sauce for your meats, dipping and many mores.

It will RUIN the flavor if you use too much of BVs as well.

Now you able to buy a right product that fits your taste buds!

Enjoy the shopping for BVs!