The story of balsamic vinegar begins in 1100 in the small town of Modena in Italy and it is now a popular ingredient not only for salad and cheese, but also for sweets and cocktails. Everyone may know Italian balsamic vinegar as a gourmet ingredient to flavor a salad or Parmigiano Reggiano, but this product is increasingly becoming a trending topic, versatile and incredibly refined.
Now it's not uncommon for a trendy bartender to choose a PDO Balsamic Vinegar to create a one-of-a-kind cocktail, or a 3-star chef to enrich an alicide with almond and rose petals or to color the soft heart of a muffin .
Balsamic vinegar from Modena is exported to more than 120 countries, and only some of the bottles produced are consumed in Italy. It is undoubtedly a “superstar product” now. But how do you recognize a real BOB or GPI balsamic vinegar from Modena? Where can you find the different Italian brands, and make sure you are not buying a fake?
BOB or IGP:how to recognize the balsamic vinegar of Modena
Modena balsamic vinegar (Aceto Balsamico di Modena) is produced from fermented and/or boiled and/or concentrated grape must sourced only from Lambrusco, Sangiovese, Trebbiano, Albana, Ancellotta, Fortana and Montuni vines.
The minimum percentage of grape must is 20% of the total quantity of the product to be processed and a minimum quantity of 10% of at least 10 years old wine vinegar is added to the must.
It must have a minimum total acidity of 8 gr/kg and a minimum net dry extract of 55 gr/kg. For color stability, caramel may be added up to a maximum of 2% of the final product. No other substances may be added.
If it is a PDO or IGP product, you will always find the specific labels on the bottle.
