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White Balsamic Vinegar is made from white wine vinegar made from Trebbiano grapes grown in the Modena area of Italy combined with concentrated, uncooked grape must.

White Balsamic vinegar has a mild slightly sweet flavor with a moderate amount of acidity about 5.2percent to about 7.0percent and lacks the abundant caramelized flavor of traditional Balsamic.

It works well in salad dressings and in any sauce where a red vinegar is undesirable. Don't confuse this with conventional Balsamic vinegar, which is dark red with a concentrated sweet flavor.

Look for White Balsamic Vinegar in well-stocked grocery stores, gourmet markets, and on the internet. However, it at Amazon.com: White Balsamic Vinegar, 17 Ounce. There are other brands available too.

Substitute for White Balsamic Vinegar

If you need an alternative to White wine vinegar you can substitute equal amounts of:

Balsamic vinegar (if color is not an issue) much more complex flavor
OR - Rice wine vinegar (mild flavored)
OR - White wine vinegar

First off, olive oil taste good, real good. And with a wide range of varietals and flavor profiles, our customers can always find an Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) that suits their particular taste and recipe preferences. We have also touted the numerous health benefits of consuming top quality EVOO and have lectured on the subject on several occasions.

Secondly and most lately, the news world has been abuzz within an article conducted in Spain, and whose findings have been published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. The Mediterranean diet is now the focus of intense review, as the health benefits of EVOO are becoming all too apparent.

Below is a brief summary of the many health related benefits of consuming Extra Virgin Olive Oil. What you want to know is that it is the polyphenols that are found in 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and the high degree of monounsaturated fat found inside are what is responsible for these effects and observations. Keep in mind that most of these benefits won't come from pure olive oil, or olive oils that have been adulterated with other refined oils.

The anti-inflammatory power of olive oil is a result of the polyphenols that can only be obtained from Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The anti-inflammatory agents comprise nine different categories of polyphenols and more than 25 well-researched anti-inflammatory nutrients.

Unlike supermarket grades of olive oil, where up to 70 percent of brands were found to fail the test for Extra Virgin with a U.C. Davis published study; The Olive Tap EVOO's are guaranteed to have polyphenol amounts that can provide these benefits to you. Some oils are lower than others, providing sweet (not bitter), mild and fruity taste profiles.

Other oils will probably be more pungent (peppery sensation in the throat) and sour (back of the tongue sensation) because of their higher polyphenol counts. The ultimate choice as to which oil best matches your particular taste is what makes The Olive Tap shops so special. You can taste before you buy at any of our locations, or read detailed descriptions on the internet to assist you make a choice.

Cardiovascular: Lower your risk of cardiovascular disease by 30 percent, while appreciating a diet that puts more emphasis on food collections than counting calories. Take a Look at the Mediterranean diet. In late February, the news, food sites, and other media outlets were all abuzz on the article that was published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The results were so positive, that the study was halted early because the benefits of the Mediterranean diet were already obvious. The researchers found that the people consuming the diets rich in olive oil, fruits, vegetables and nuts had about a 30 percent lower risk of having a heart attack, stroke or dying from a cardiovascular cause.

Digestive Tract: Several studies found lower rates of gastrointestinal tract cancers--especially cancers of the upper digestive tract, including the stomach and small intestine--in populations that regularly have olive oil.

Skeletal/Bone Health: Higher blood levels of calcium have been observed in laboratory animals, and 2 polyphenols (tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol) have demonstrated to increase bond formation. Lately, a bunch of researchers indicated that olive oil may eventually prove to have special bone benefits for post-menopausal ladies.

Cognition and Brain Function: Increased cognitive function--especially among older adults--is a renowned feature of the Mediterranean Diet. In France, a current large-scale study on elderly adults has shown that visual memory and verbal fluency can be made better with what the researchers called"intensive use" of olive oil.

Anti Cancer Benefits: Research studies have revealed that as little as 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil per day can lower the risk of certain cancer types, including cancers of the breast, respiratory tract, upper digestive tract, and to a lesser degree, lower gastrointestinal tract (colorectal cancers). Intense study is ongoing regarding the effect of EVOO on certain kinds of breast cancer.

The research is focused on the 20% to 30% of breast cancers that express the HER2 molecules, and is being conducted by Javier A. Menendez, PhD, at the Catalan Institute of Oncology at Girona, Spain.

Clearly, the Mediterranean diet is one that has an emphasis on Extra Virgin Olive Oil as the source of fat in diets, and there are undoubtedly additional health benefits associated with the use of fruits, vegetables, fish, and legumes.

The decrease in red meat consumption in this diet is also important, and cannot be overemphasized. In the coming months we'll take a better look at the research, and if available, we will post updates.

Studies show that the consumption of just two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil a day is enough to dramatically impact your health. Sounds pretty amazing, doesn't it?

Especially once you consider that it tastes amazing and as much of a treat as many of your favorite foods. So, what's the story?

The Ratio of Essential Fatty Acids is perfect

We've all heard about omegas-3 & 6 and just how essential they are for good health. Just so we're really clear I'm going to list the benefits below.

Omega-3 is crucial for:

Cardiovascular health

lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol

stroke prevention

brain function - all from memory to clarity and on top of that there is so much work being done on
the effect regular intake has on dementia that I'll come back to that in another post

blood health

circulation

avoiding inflammation within the body which, as you probably know, is regarded as the root cause of many diseases such as arthritis and some cancers. It also affects how we age


Omega-6:

Stimulates skin and hair development
maintains bone health
regulates metabolism
maintains the reproductive system


But that's not all you need to understand. The major takeaway is this - while omega-3 and 6 are both essential, it's crucial that people eat them in the ideal ratio because omega 3 is great for managing inflammation in the body, a lot of omega-6 can cause inflammation.

Many experts agree that the ideal ratio is about 1 part omega-3 to 10 parts omega-6 and this, is exactly the ratio offered by extra virgin olive oil. Many foods in the Western diet offer ratios between 20 and 50 into 1. In sunflower oil it's 40 to 1.

The antioxidant connection

Olive oil is high in antioxidants. Antioxidants reduce the negative effects of free radicals, which contribute to the development of inflammation and disease within the body.

Free radicals are found everywhere our bodies produce them once we convert food into energy, they are in the air we breathe, the pesticides added to so many things we consume are packed with them and then some are generated by the sun's action on the skin and eyes. So, long story short, we are exposed to A LOT of free radicals.

Early harvest olive oils - an extra boost in the fight against free radicals

So-called"early harvest" olive oils, which all of Sarah & Olive's oils are, have higher levels of polyphenols than other olive oils, even extra virgin olive oils. Polyphenols are a group of over 500 phytochemicals, which are naturally occurring micronutrients in plants.

As with other antioxidants, polyphenols help prevent cellular damage from free-radicals. Harvesting early means that the olives are greener and so give the oil an even larger antioxidant increase and this is what enhances our risk of many chronic diseases.

Can it make me fat?

The brief answer is no. Various studies have shown that regular consumption of olive oil does not lead to weight gain or obesity. As a very nutrient-rich food, olive oil helps the body to feel sated thereby lessening our requirement to indulge in unhealthy snacks.

Raw or cooked?

While it's a myth that you can't cook with extra virgin olive oil, given the calibre of our oils that I don't think you need to cook with such high grade olive oils especially given the price and the fact that a lot of the amazing flavor is lost in the cooking procedure. What I do suggest is using our range of oils to finish dishes.

So, say you roast some veg or fish, use a regular olive oil for the cooking then drizzle with a few of our beauties before functioning. That way you'll get all the goodness and flavor without breaking the bank.

Many of you have asked about me sourcing a good quality oil for cooking and I talked to our supplier about this when I visited them last week (I will tell you all about it in my next post). I've sourced an amazing oil that's great value for month and perfect for cooking and we are going to be getting some 5L containers soon. I will keep you posted about this on social.

In the meantime, I hope this article serves to make clear just why good quality extra virgin olive oil has to be part of any healthy diet. They're not all the same and it really is worth investing in a great one (or two).