This balsamic vinegar qualifies as one of the best gifts I’ve ever received. I first tasted it when I was studying pastry in Paris. A friend of mine went to Italy for a week, and brought some back for me. The flavor was a revelation. I finally understood why people drizzle balsamic vinegar on parmesan cheese. The quality of the balsamic vinegar makes all the difference.
It has a fantastic smell, and a mellow flavor. It inspired a whole series of summer salads, that evolved with vinegar and parmesan as a starting point. I also use it in my Strawberry Balsamic Jam.
When I got back to New York I despaired of ever finding it again. I looked for it at Whole Foods, a couple of Italian markets in my neighborhood, and one day at random, after I’d given up completely, there it was at Williams-Sonoma. Zabar’s sells it as well.
It’s made from grape must (unfermented grape juice) combined with a ‘mother’ vinegar (like a sourdough starter). It’s aged in a series of aromatic wooden barrels – cherry, chestnut, oak, juniper, ash and mulberry, in Modena Italy.
It usually costs about $15 a bottle.
