Industrial Balsamic Vinegars see no standards or bounds

Industrial balsamic vinegar has no set standards; either in terms of the process of production or contents or of pricing. The idea here is to produce good taste in larger quantities at reasonable price and time limits. Hence we find a wide range of industrially produced vinegars available in the market. Often packaged in beautiful shapely bottles, these vinegars vary greatly in flavor, quality, and price.

To judge the quality of these industrial balsamic vinegars one must try to study the process by which they are prepared. Typically, these vinegars do not follow the time intensive methods of tradizionale. They are a mixture of vinegar and other components and are produced on a much larger scale to be marketed as condiments. Many of these are high quality artisan style blends, made from cooked grape must and aged wine vinegar. Others blend very old wine vinegar with a small percentage of tradizionale and are aged in barrels for a short period of time.
The most popular of the commercially produced vinegars are those which make up the majority of the “balsamico” market. These are labeled “aceto balsamico di Modena.” You will want to check the labels for API MO and API RE; these will indicate whether the vinegar in question was actually made in Modena or Reggio. Imitations come from practically anywhere, from Sicily to Jew Jersey.

Commercially produced balsamic vinegars are not to be confused with true tradizionale aceto balsamico. At their best they are a seasoning facsimile condiment. Most gourmet experts will tell you, “You get what you pay for.” Recommended commercial producers would be Villa Bellentani and Masserie di Santa Erame Balsamic vinegars of Modena.

The best way to decide upon your choice is to sample as many types of vinegar as you can and choose from a personal preference. Every vinegar has a slightly different set of characteristics. Some have tangy sweet-sour bite, while others will hold a woody flavor. Others will even have a viscous syrupy consistency. Some would be intense and others could be somewhat mellow.
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