Originating from the Modena and Reggio Emilia regions of Italy, Balsamic Vinegar has been a traditional condiment since the Middle Ages. Documents date back to 1046 on the first historical reference about the production of Balsamic Vinegar.
During the Italian Renaissance, it was indulged and appreciated by the House of Este, a noble family that governed Modena and Reggio during the 13th – 18th centuries. Other cultures through the ages used vinegar as a preservative and disinfectant. In modern day, vinegar is still used for its disinfectant properties as a natural household cleaner, but is also used for preserving, cooking, and seasoning.
On the other hand, Balsamic Vinegar is created from age-old family traditions and is considered a prized condiment. The aging process takes a minimum of 12 years and the deliciously sweet and thick syrup is meant to be savored. This is why true traditional Balsamic Vinegars yield higher prices.
Varieties of Balsamic Vinegar
Traditional vinegars of Modena and Reggio Emilia are both true traditional artisan Balsamic Vinegars that are legally created with consortium supervision. These two traditional Balsamic Vinegars are the only ones that can be labeled and legally described as Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale.
In addition, they are protected under the watchful eye of the Italian Denominazione di Origine Protetta and the European Union’s Protected Designation of Origin.
The production of Balsamic Vinegar generally begins with the juice of Trebbiano grapes that has been boiled down to create a thick reduction called must. The must is then placed into wooden barrels called casks, similar to those used in winemaking, to begin the aging process.
The casks are stored in the attic, not a cellar, to keep the climate consistent with the time of year – hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Every year, the vinegar is transferred to new wood casks, decreasing in size due to the evaporation of liquid over the years.
An assortment of woods such as oak, cherry, chestnut, ash, and mulberry are used to enhance the flavors absorbed by the liquid during the years of aging. The longer the vinegar is aged, the more concentrated it becomes, intensifying the flavor. The aging period must be a minimum of 12 years to be labeled “Tradizionale” and consortium-sealed in a distinct bulb-shaped bottle.
Balsamic Vinegar is often drizzled over fresh mozzarella and tomatoes as an antipasto, mixed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil in droplets for dipping bread, and sprinkled over fresh strawberries or even ice cream.
Condimento Balsamic Vinegars, often labeled “Condimento Balsamico,” are also created the traditional way in Modena or Reggio Emilia. The difference between tradizionale and condimento grades is the length of time they are aged. Condimento grades are aged less than 12 years and without consortium supervision and approval, making it difficult to tell their true quality.
Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is a commercial grade product made with additives such as coloring, thickeners, and artificial sweeteners to imitate the traditional products. There is no aging involved, so it can be produced every day.
You usually see this type of Balsamic Vinegar at you local grocery store shelves. It is widely available and less expensive than the traditional balsamics, with prices starting as low as $6.00. It is used for salad dressings, marinades, and sauces.
Infused Balsamic Vinegars
Bring a little thrill, fun and enjoyment to your cooking and recipes by adding Balsamic Vinegars that have been infused with a variety of ingredients. With a handful of choices, you can experiment with your recipes by substituting regular vinegar with an Infused Balsamic Vinegar. Be creative! You may be pleasantly surprised at what you come up with!
Some of the Infused Balsamic Vinegars on the market today include:
Did you know that drinking a tiny glass of Balsamic Vinegar after a meal may help with digestion?
A human body of research demonstrates that olive oil, specifically Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is a healthier choice compared to other vegetable oils.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is Recognized as a quality source of bioavailable phenolic compounds that Offer a variety of health benefits across many diseases such as:
Cancer
Cardiovascular Disease
Neurodegenerative Disorders and others
Olive Oil is a monounsaturated fat that is higher in bioactive chemicals compared to other sorts of vegetable oils. While it is well known to develop into an all round healthy oil, maintaining the vast assortment of nutritional qualities below processes is often contested. So how about we evaluate what the research reveals surrounding Olive Oil and various national procedures -- profound frying pan, pan frying, boiling and roasting.
Deep Frying
The most new research, published in Food Chemistry, 2015, aimed to analyze the effects of a combination of national cooking procedures on the specific article of various Mediterranean foods, potato, tomato, pumpkin, eggplant, cooked in Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). Four different cooking procedures have been all analyzed,
Deep frying (180°C)
Sautéing (80-100°C)
Boiling (plain water),
Boiling (waterEVOO mixture - both boiling at 100°C)
Each was subjected to ten minutes of intake, followed closely by five minutes of cooling before refrigeration and also testing.
Surprisinglythe outcome of the study revealed that the overall quality of the vegetables was significantly enhanced when deep-fried in Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) because the manufacture gets improved using Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) phenols transferred from the oil. ) Although this may be the case, it is critical to mention that the fat content is significantly increased compared to boiling as is still expected.
Furthermore, it is also crucial to keep in mind that consequences for each vegetable failed to vary so as the compounds have been found to be higher in the deep-fried vegetables, the overall judgment was that each cooked vegetable developed specific phenolic and antioxidant activity profiles resulting from the characteristics of the raw vegetables and the cooking strategies.
Another study, published in Food Chemistry Toxicology, 2010, focused on specifically evaluating the effects of frying together with Olive Oil. Five samples of commercial Olive Oil, for example 1 particular Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), from the northeast Portugal location have been useful for the analysis. Potatoes were applied as the vegetable subject together using domestic deep-fat electric fryers at a hundred. All the Olive Oil's had similar total phenolic compounds (TPC) before frying.
The outcomes revealed that,"the degradation rates were similar in amongst all olive samples, using a 0.7 percent increase a hour at the Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), and 0.8 percent in all the other olive samples, without a clear differences" Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) obtained the greatest oxidative stability. After 6 hrs of frying pan, only the Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) nonetheless contained phenols, while the other samples have been diminished.
However, it is rare to cook for 6-12 hrs domestic situations so overall the analysis reasoned that olive oil independent of the commercial category chosen is"clearly resistant to degradation under national frying conditions (one hundred seventy °C)."
Additionally, another study, published at the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, 2003, obtained potato bits and subjected them into profound frying for 10 minutes at a hundred and eighty °C at Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). This analysis revealed that after just one frying procedure, the phenolic compounds reduced by 40 50 percent compared for their original concentration. And after 6 frying sessions, significantly less than 10 percent of the original concentrations remained.
The total antioxidant capacity reduced from 740 l of Trolox/kg down to less than 250 minutes after the first frying session and further down badly to 139-144 umol/kg after 12 frying periods. In regards to the formation of polar chemicals and total polar material, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) showed quite great resistance.
Pan-Frying
Pan frying effects in a marginally faster degradation of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) compared to deep frying pan. Authors of a review, published in Food Research International, 2013, imply that this is possible as a result of"higher food: oil contact surface, higher vulnerability to atmospheric oxygen, and reduce temperatures beneath processing." But they also remember that"in comparison with other vegetable oils, so the fried food is enhanced with olive oil antioxidants, as long as the olive oil is not widely heated"
Boiling
A study, published in Food Science and Technology, 2010, utilized a sample of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) and Olive Oil together with carrots, onions, and potatoes, to evaluate the effect of peanuts. Vegetables had been boiled for 60 minutes using 60 g of each Olive Oil added at the start or fifteen minutes before the finish of the boil approach.
As expected, the outcome showed that boiling does not result in oxidation. Tocopherols and all polyphenolic elements decreased in concentration. Yet, adding Olive Oil into the boil procedure just 15 minutes before the ending of the boil procedure increased"content of oleanolic acid derivatives, 3,4-DHPEA-EA and 4- HPEA-EA, and hydroxytyrosol acetate."
Roasting
A study, published in Food Chemistry, 2010, looked at the behaviour of olive oil phenolic compounds during roast processing. According to the study, "Samples included extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), virgin olive oil (VOO), olive oil (OR), sunflower oil (SFO), soy oil (SO), corn oil (CO) and peanut oil (PNO). Beef (150 grams, a block shape) or 150 g of potatoes (six quarters of potatoes)." The vegetables have been processed in 60 g of each oil in an oven at 180 °C until the internal temperature of meat reached one hundred eighty °C, that took an average of sixty minutes.
Sunflower and seed oils oxidized and failed to maintain antioxidant capacity compared to olive oil, that really did not oxidize during roasting, the authors indicating thanks to a higher tocopherol material. Clearly, the oil samples for example olive oil, contained higher quantities of phenolic compounds, which after roasting was significantly reduced in all samples. For example,"a dramatic reduction of 3,4-DHPEA-EDA (98 percent) and 3,4-DHPEA-EA (70 percent)" was found in OO samples. On the other hand, the radical activity was higher for OO samples, compared to other vegetable oils.
Overall Olive Oil degradation due to processing is a elaborate issue determined by many different factors. Regardless of some benefits being exhibited toward heavy frying, elevated temperatures of heavy frying do cause chemical changes such as oxidation, polymerization, cyclization, and hydrolysis. However, compared to other vegetable oils, Olive Oil is a far much better decision for cooking regardless of the system, as it is more resistant to the effects of oxidation and free radical outcome.
According to the authors of the study published in Food Chemistry 2015,"These chemical reactions are influenced by the variety and quality of the oil, the food properties, and the food/oil ratio, among other parameters."
In summary, Olive Oil and at particular Extra Virgin Olive Oil is known as a healthy cooking petroleum overall, especially in comparison with other vegetable oils. Minimizing moment and maybe not reusing oils helps to reduce oxidation and loss of phenolic substances. But to maintain the full benefits and bioactive substances in Olive Oil the very best way to absorb it is raw, in its original unprocessed state.
