Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is one of the excellences of the Modenese territories. Its history has its roots in the culinary and cultural traditions of this town, where it is still produced according to the artisanal techniques passed down from one generation to another. It is a high quality condiment obtained through elaboration of the grape must and its further aging in precious wooden barrel, and it represents the Modenese culture and tradition in the whole world. This product is characterized by a unique flavor, sweet and rich in nuances and aromas, able to enrich the most different preparations. Its excellent quality makes it highly appreciated in the gastronomic field, where it gets often used by the best chefs for the creation of top quality haute cuisine recipes.
But our Balsamic Vinegar is more than a simple condiment. In fact, it is a symbol of the culture and the history of Modena, the town that has found the right way to welcome what later would become one of the most appreciated and exported Italian excellences. Today Balsamic Vinegar is the product of an international fame, but its bond with the culture and the traditions of Modena remains strong and dissoluble: in fact, every single bottle of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena encloses a story of hard work, great patience, immense passion and dedication to the territory.
Secret Processes of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
The artisanal production process of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is long and complicated. Based on antique recipes, cherished jealously by every family and shared only with those who proudly live the territory, it requires by its nature great skill and competence. Following the processing of the grapes and their further conversion into must, the product gets placed and aged in the barrels of different dimensions and made of different precious woods. The most popular woods are oak, chestnut, cherry and mulberry, even if there are many other varieties. We have talked about it in this article. The aging time in different woods may vary from one producer to another, this information does part of the “secret processes” cherished jealously by balsamic masters. What is known for sure is that the aging time can vary from several months up to entire decades, depending on what quality of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena we want to obtain (IGP or DOP).
Symbol of the Cultural and Territorial Identity
Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is not only a gastronomic excellence: it is also an element of the social cohesion, which unites people through the sharing of common values and traditions. In fact, in many families of Modena Balsamic Vinegar represents a precious asset that gets passed down from one generation to the other into precious wooden barrels, often centenary, properly as a treasure of the family. Exactly as in every family, the ancient producers of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena cherished their own series of barrels and passed them down from father to son. That means that the black gold was not only a gastronomic ingredient, present in most households of Modena, but a real symbol of the cultural and territorial identity.
Today “La Vecchia Dispensa” offers its clients not only an excellent product to bring to the table, but also the possibility to experience the emotion of this tradition throughout Acetaia Tours, which give a chance to understand the authentic traditional production methods still used in our company. We are convinced that this helps to preserve the cultural heritage of the ancient Este Duchy that the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena represents for all Italians.
