I’m trying out different Balsamic vinegars.
What do you recommend and
which brand is your favourite?
White balsamic condimento. I buy several Greek and Italian brands.
I like the Sarafino brand if I’m buying a gift or splurging. They also sell several more traditional balsamics.
The President’s Choice White Balsamic is also decent, as is the Unico, for an everyday vinegar that costs less than $4 a bottle.
I buy this Philotimo vinegar with honey at Serano Bakery & Market on Pape in Toronto’s Greektown, as a splurge.
I use white balsamic vinegar condimento in 90 percent of my salads.
Two balsamic from Montreal. Fast next day delivery free if you spend a certain amount. We use both the light and dark balsamic for the last several years. They have a stand at Talon market.
Villa Manodori…probably the best “inexpensive” balsamic vinegar I have tasted. Once I discovered it many years ago, the only other balsamic vinegar I have used is either a small bottle of aged balsamic for special occasions, and the Costco stuff for reductions, etc. The Villa Manodori is great just out of the bottle.
For finishing, we enjoy several extraordinary flavors from Amphora Nueva, a small Bay Area concern with several outlets.
Blenheim apricot and Maple are mind-blowing. Their plain white balsamic is our go to. Not cheap, but worth every cent/tablespoon.
I believe real balsamic vinegar costs like $100 for a 6 oz bottle.
So I use Spanish sweet Sherry vinegar in place or a cheaper $12 substitute that’s overly sweet most likely.
Since most/all basalmics aren’t the real thing at stores, I just don’t bother buying a high quality and pricey fake balsamic.
I don’t know this phrase. Can you educate us?
I love sherry vinegar but find them very uneven. The only brand I now buy is La Bodega. It is widely carried but very/most often out of stock.
There’s this store that was recommended - Despana - that I learned about it.
I guess in Spain they make wine vinegar like most countries but they have the Pedro Ximenez sherry grape - the sweetest among sherry grape varieties maybe?
I have the link to the store here https://despanabrandfoods.com/collections/a-olive-oils-vinegar/products/montegrato-pedro-ximenez-sherry-vinegar-16-years
I use it because I feel like I’m using a real actual product at an affordable price.
I just couldn’t pay $100 for a tiny 6 oz bottle of real balsamic.
But I’m no expert on Spain and their products.
Thank you all I’m on the tail end of my Goccia Oro aged red Balsamic.
I’ve been in a red Balsamic phase the 3 below are the ones that I’ve chosen to explore with next due to availability.
I really like the purple one for salad dressings.
The other 2 haven’t been cracked open yet looked very interesting. One has mostco cotta which I believe is the preferred one to use.
Haven’t cooked with white Balsamic do they vary like the red or are they more similar in flavour profile @Phoenikia ?
Will Google some recipes to experiment with.
You are right too rich for my blood so I’m glad that I have all of you here to help share your opinions.
I have only bought one brown / real balsamic in close to 15 years, and it was a $3 bottle of President’s Choice, so I can’t compare regular balsamic, or red balsamic, to white condimento in my cooking.
I basically use white balsamic, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar and unseasoned rice vinegar in 99 percent of my cooking and salads.
When I buy sherry vinegar, apple cider cider or malt vinegar, the mother usually
grows faster than I use the bottle, and I usually throw the rest of the bottle out a year or 2 after I purchased it.