There are very few cases like tradizional balsamic vinegar, where is history is ” product”. In fact, this fruit of the intelligence and the passion of men has honoured and characterised the most fortunate and most knowledgeable tables for many centuries. Ancient origins, most of which unknown, create an aura of mystery around the “world’s most special Vinegar”, the initial idea and the techniques for makingit, the methods handed down for generations from father to son. The earliest known document that describes it dates back to the year 1046, when the German Emperor Henry III stopped at Piacenza as he travelled to Rome for his coronation. Here he asked Boniface, marquis of Tuscany and father of the famous countess Matilde di Canossa, for the gift of a special vinegar that he “aveva udito farsi colà perfettissimo” (he “had heard was made in a perfect way”). We know for certain that there were producers of vinegar in Reggio Emilia, Scandiano and the main towns of the Este duchy during the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries. They had actually established true consortia, the members of which had to jealously guard the secrets of their precious product. After the Emperor’s approval and throughout the entire Renaissance period, Balsamic Vinegar often appeared on the tables of kings and dukes, most especially at the table of the dukes of Este. With the advent in 1476 of Alfonso I, duke of Ferrara, the history of Balsamic vinegar received a substantial boost.
Lodovico Ariosto, not by chance from Reggio, wrote in the third of his satires, “in casa mia mi fa meglio una rapa ch’io coco, e cotta s’uno stecco inforco e mondo e spargo poi d’aceto e sapa” (“in my house, I’d rather have a turnip to cook, and cooked on a stick I’d take it and peel it and sprinkle it with a little vinegar and sapa (cooked must)”). Reports about Balsamic Vinegar came thick and fast during the Nineteenth century, in the dowry lists of the noble families of Reggio. At that time, it was usual practice to enrich the dowry of a noblewoman who married, with barrels of precious Balsamic Vinegar and sets of casks containing the prized condiment. The rest is a story of our times.
Quality must be respected, loved and protected
The Consorzio fra Produttori dell’Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia (Consortium of Producers of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia) was established in 1986 to protect the quality of the product and provide guarantees for the consumer. The consortium was liable to inspection by the MiPAAF (Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies). In 2000, by adding Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia to the list of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) products, by way of consumer protection, the European Community decreed that the entire production cycle must be certified by a Certification Authority recognized by the European Union and authorized by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies. This Authority only issues the relative certification to the producers after having ascertained that they strictly comply with the product specification. The product specification establishes that “passing the analytical and sensorial examination is a binding condition for being able to market the product with the name of “Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia”, and the words “extravecchio” (extra-old) can only be applied to products that have been aged for no less than 25 years. Along with the presentation in special little bottles bearing body or neck labels with the words Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia (Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia – the adjective “traditional” must always appear), this is a procedure that protects the consumers and helps them to choose the product. The vinegar may sometimes be considered unfit. If this happens, it is poured back into the barrels and allowed to age to a further extent before being subjected to the certification procedure at a future date, at which time it will be ready to obtain the much-coveted Designation. The natural physiological process that typifies the long period of ageing sustained by Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia allows the consumer to use the product in the ideal way, according to the qualitative characteristics it acquires and that depend on the length of time it is allowed to age. The youngest product, aged little more than 12 years, has a light, delicate fragrance with a good degree of acidity. It can be used to enrich the flavour of rawmeat Carpaccio, marinated meat and cooked shellfish, cutlets, chicken breasts and rare red meat in general. After ageing for a few more years, the product becomes thicker, with a stronger, slightly sweeter fragrance. It is excellent used as it is, for providing added flavour to sauces for boiled meat or fish and is ideal for preparing many first and second courses. The Extra-vecchio product is extraordinarily rich in fragrance and harmony, with sweet rather than sharp undertones. A true elixir to sip on a spoon or from a liqueur glass at the end of a meal, but also a delicious topping for fruit and desserts.
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