Good Balsamic Vinegar

[Jennifer Stimson]

Hi there,

Can anyone recommend a place to buy the sweet, syrupy balsamic vinegar to use on parmesan cheese/strawberries (not the one for salads). I could go to somewhere like Draegers, but I'd prefer a better value. Is there somewhere in North Beach or anywhere?

Thank you!

[Fatemeh]

For really high-end balsamico that is thick and sweet, you're going to pay a pretty penny regardless of where you go.

Williams-Sonoma's Fino Gold Label (12-year aged) is around $40. The Fino regular version is our "house" vinegar. Sur La Table has a 12-year old Spanish, which I have not yet tried, but which is very reasonably priced at $18. Zingerman's also has a 20-year aged vinegar which is beautiful - it's around $60.

The W-S and SLT are available in store or online. Zingerman's is available online.

Another thing you can try (though it's certainly NOT the same as well-aged balsamic), if you don't want to spend too much, is to boil your good "house" vinegar (NOT the nasty $5 bottles found at most grocery stores) until it reduces by about a third.

It's not as complex and fruity as aged balsamico, but it does get much sweeter and syrupy.

[Deelish]

I vote for reducing your own, too. It's easy, it's fast and certainly a lot cheaper. But if you want to buy it, I saw a bottle of the stuff at Trader Joe's, but haven't tried it. It was called balsamic glaze and had lots of other ingredients besides the vinegar.

[Melanie Wong]

A trick that one of my friends uses is to add a little cream sherry or PX to the boiled down vinegar. Adds a lot of character and weight.

[k. gerstenberger]

Tradizionale is the extra ordinary, and extraordinarily expensive type of balsamico that you refer to. There are condimento grades which have alot more to offer than the industrial quality. There are retailers who sell all grades at a high price (Draeger's for instance) and then there are Italian delis who ususally carry industrial salad grade and some condimento, less commonly the tradizionale, They generally do not gouge, but buyer beware. A good source is the AG Ferrari chain of delis, but price may not be as low as some of the mom and pops. If consistancy is what you're looking for you can make a reduction of a good quality industrially produced vinegar, until the desired viscosity is achieved, but the subtle flavors are reserved for the vinegar that ages in graduated casks of differing stave wood, and becomes concentrated by evaporation

[solly]

There are two towns in Italy that make authentic balsamico: Modena and Reggio. Ones from the latter are cheaper (quality is almost strictly a matter of preference). I've seen the real things in Pasta Shop at Market Hall (but stay clear of the truffle-balsamico), AG Ferrari, and Molinari. The cheapest I've seen it in the U.S. is at Zabar's in NY (They sell the Reggiano type). I've linked the mail order below. For more reference, you might want to read Lynn Rosetto Kaspar's "The Splendid Table."

As to suggestions for converting commercial quality balsamico, many people try boiling briefly with added sugar. This creates a caramel finish, which is OK, but cannot approximate the wonderful complexity of a true balsamico. FYI, any time you try a "real balsamic vinegar" that tastes of caramel, know that it's not really "real."

Link: http://www.zabar.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP...

[Windy]

Whole Foods store brand is tasty and very inexpensive. It won a ratings comparison in Cooks Illustrated a few years ago against many quite expensive imports. I'm sure you could buy a better Italian bottle if you had the chance to sample it, but I've been very happy with it.

I also vote for reducing your own. Reduced balsamic vinegar is heavenly on roasted red onions.

[Swarthog]

I can't believe that no Chowhounds have come up with this one yet. www.spenger.com John Spenger procures 18 year old balsamic in 245 gallon barrels and bottles it here selling it for $18 for 375ml. This stuff is amazing, thick and sweet and ohh so tasty.