Simple procedure to discriminate among balsamic vinegars

A lot of sweet and sour vinegars and dressing, derived from grape must and appealed as “balsamic”, are currently available in the market all over the world. We have grouped the different products on the basis of their Protected Geographical Status, ingredients and additives used, as well as the production technology. The consumer perception of the attribute “balsamic” isassociated with a series of common features that clearly discriminates them from other types of vinegars. They are dark, opalescent, shiny, thick and viscous, and the acidic taste is modulated by a variable amount of sugars. The features described are usually achieved in different ways and this make the difference among the balsamic vinegarsand sauces. The key point refers to the fact that different methods, used for the same purpose, can have dramaticallydifferent costs, which then affect the price and quality of the finished product; i.e. the dark colour can be obtained with addition of caramel (E150d) or by long aging. The differences on production cost is huge and obvious. The most expensive step in industrial production is aging, and of course this is particularly important for traditional balsamic vinegars. Aging plays a key role in determining many valuable characteristics of balsamic, for example, the dark brown colour belongs from the initial process of must cooking, which triggers a series of non-enzymatic browning reactions that slowly continue over the years. The process of aging in wood barrels increases the specific gravityand viscosity due to the progressive loss of water and theformation of high molecular weight compounds (melanoidins) that modify the rheological properties of the product.