Savory Elixir: Rude Awakening

Savory Elixir covers all things balsamic vinegar from recipes and selection to history and folkore.

I’ll be forthright. Before I visited Italy, my understanding of balsamic vinegar was reflective of this country’s general perception – that it’s mainly a salad condiment used on occasion to complement certain appetizers.

Needless to say, I experienced a rude yet euphoric culinary awakening. My introduction to true balsamic vinegar, or aceto balsamico tradizionale as it’s called in Italian, was a year ago while on a four-day sabbatical to Florence, Italy. As I was strolling along the Via dell’ Anguillara, one of the city’s many maze-like streets strewn with vendors, I unintentionally came upon a hidden gem of a culinary shop. Catching my attention, the merchant, a small elderly lady, beckoned me to come in. Wine-infused from dinner, my feet led the way.

Inside was a bazaar of all things food-related with wall-to-wall bottles of oils, spices and homemade kitchen utensils. Herbs and dried meats hung from the ceiling. It felt like a modern day Garden of Eve for cooks. In broken English, she asked what I was looking for. I hadn’t anything specific in mind. With two snaps of her fingers, she had me touching, smelling and tasting anything my fingers pointed at.

It was here I first crossed paths with the infamous dark vinegar. The merchant reaches for a tiny, onion-shaped bottle and pours a teaspoon of twenty-year-aged aceto balsamico.

The dark brown syrup slowly oozes out of the bottle onto the plastic spoon. My mouth watering as the pungent, fruity aroma wafts up my nose.

With a slurp from a spoon, a burst of sweetness and tartness explodes upon my taste buds. WTF is this!?! You’d think sweet and sour wouldn’t work, but the complexity does. Oh boy, does it ever! It’s a pornographic orgy of flavor and nearly unbearable. Like a dam giving way to rushing water, my mind surrenders to the onslaught of the fruity concentration.

I beg the woman for another spoonful. She obliges, guiding me to sample other aged balsamic for my pleasure. Each one emanates its own unique scent and degree of harmonious flavor. When asked which I would purchase, I responded, “I’ll take the lot.” Expensive but worth every penny!

So you ask, what’s the big deal? True aceto balsamico is more than just a salad dressing. There’s more, so much more to this divine syrup. It’s painstakingly long to create, literally taking a lifetime. It’s a big deal because of EVERYTHING about it.

Steeped in culture, folklore and mystery, this tantalizing concoction lends its rich, sharp character to all types of cuisines such as fish, meat, poultry and even dessert. Its played a central yet hidden role in gastronomy throughout the centuries and is now starting to make its presence known. The Italians knew it. Chefs know it. Food lovers know it. Now, I know it. I would be doing you an injustice if I didn’t share my new-found knowledge and recipes with you. I’m obsessed with this savory elixir. It’s time you are too!

In the next column, I’ll outline the types of balsamic and how to select nothing but the best!

-Kevin Thurwanger