Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published November 24, 2006 Click here for the current edition Balsamic Vinegar Balsamic vinegar, a specialty of the region around Modena in Italy, is a vinegar aged in wood barrels. . . but there's a bit more to it than that. The vinegar is made from grape juice affected by an enzyme that transforms it into vinegar without first changing into wine. The resulting vinegar is then aged long enough to gain a dark brown color. In its best forms, the vinegar stays in the barrels for decades. Century-old balsamic vinegar is not unheard of; for obvious reasons, it's very expensive. But wait a minute. A hundred years this stuff is aged? Why would anyone hold onto vinegar for a hundred years? The clue is in the word "balsamic," a reference to medicinal qualities which, it was once believed, the stuff possessed. (Although it's said that the first balsamic vinegar was made by mistake, when a barrel of grape juice was forgotten for decades in a cave.) The first time I ever heard of balsamic vinegar in New Orleans was in the early 1980s, the time when the first major wave of innovative chefs swept through our town opening restaurants. Its use ballooned in the following years, and now it's harder to find a restaurant that doesn't use it than one that does. You can also buy balsamic vinegar almost everywhere, and at unfrightening prices. Most of what is sold under the name now is not aged very long, and sometimes gets its color from additives. Even these are better than the cheap vinegars that used to dominate the scene even in the great places. But some restaurants use very good balsamic vinegar. You can spot the good stuff because it becomes as thick as syrup, is not especially acidic, and needs to be used not by the spoonful but by the drop. It's a delicious, mouth-watering elixir. Here's a website with an interesting history of balsamic vinegar, if you're interested. © 2006 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com