Balsamic vinegar does not necessarily contain what you would initially suspect. Fortunately, cheap balsamic vinegar can be easily distinguished from high-quality – if you pay attention to the appropriate detail.
Aceto Balsamic di Modena is often used in the kitchen – and not just for salads. Such a balsamic vinegar is made by boiling down thickened must. Above all, grape must is used as the basis, which is first fermented into alcohol and then into vinegar.
But Aceto Balsamico di Modena is not the same as Aceto Balsamico di Modena. You will usually find balsamic vinegars with the designation at discounters such as Aldi and Lidl or in the Edeka supermarket Balsamic vinegar of Modena IGP on offer. In addition, however, also in the trade Traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena DOP. offered. What many consumers do not know: the latter is the significantly higher quality, but also more expensive product. And there is even a special EU regulation for both “varieties”. The price and quality differences are sometimes huge.
Aceto Balsamico di Modena: View all offers on Amazon
Balsamic vinegar of Modena: IGP and DOP
In addition to the supplement Tradizionale, the two abbreviations make the Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP and DOP the difference: IGP stands for “Indicazione Geografica Protetta” and indicates a legally protected geographical origin. However, the requirements for use are significantly lower than for the designation DOP (Denominazione d”Origine Protetta), which also identifies a protected geographical origin. Incidentally, this also applies to other Italian products from a specific region of origin – such as the famous “Parmesan cheese” Parmigiano Reggiano or Parma ham.
Back to the balsamic vinegar: the cheaper Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP from the supermarket is a mix of at least 20% grape must and wine vinegar. The acidity must be at least six percent. Sugar caramel (E150), for example, can also be used for coloring. In order for the vinegar to bear its name, at least one production step must have taken place in the Modena region. However, whether the grapes used come from there or from another region of the world and where the vinegar was bottled does not play a mandatory role for the designation.
With the significantly more expensive Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP, the EU regulation regulates everything regarding the origin, production and raw materials. The EU specification also states how the balsamic vinegar must be bottled and labelled. It is imperative, for example, that as a preliminary stage pure vinegar from grape must is used. And in contrast to IGP, with DOP all production steps must take place in the region and the raw materials used must also come from there. In addition, they may only be placed on the market after 12 years of maturing or aging.
Aceto Balsamico di Modena: View all offers on Amazon
Balsamic vinegars tested by ÖKO-TEST
So there are reasons why the inexpensive Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP is referred to as a typical supermarket vinegar and the Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP is revered as the king of (balsamic) vinegars. In terms of taste and quality, there are worlds between the two. So is the price: while you’re in between for a good cheaper “supermarket vinegar”. five and six euros for 100ml have to shell out, such a traditional can definitely do more than 100 euros per 100ml costs.
But can cheap balsamic vinegar also taste good? The testers from ÖKO-TEST have in the Edition 07/2021 put it to the test. They examined ten representatives of the variety Aceto Balsamico di Modena and its counterpart, the Condimento Bianco, not only for ingredients and quality, but also for their taste. The test field included both very cheap products (0.99 euros per 500ml) from discounters such as Penny, Lidl and Aldi as well as more expensive products with up to 31.98 euros per 500ml.
The following balsamic vinegars were among the test winners in terms of taste and quality:
- Giuseppe Cremonini Aceto Balsamico di Modena matured IGP (31.98 euros per 500ml)
- Campo Verde Condimento Bianco (12.78 euros per 500ml)
Would you like to learn more about the test? We have summarized the most important results for you in this report.
Aceto Balsamico di Modena: View all offers on Amazon
These articles might also interest you: