11 Feb 2011, Posted by admin in EAT + DRINK, 1 Comments
Saba Vinegar: Balsamic’s Early Days
It’s hard not to love really good balsamic vinegar, especially the extra aged, tangy-sweet-syrupy stuff. As of late, I’ve also been getting reacquainted with saba, the ancient precursor to balsamic that’s made from the must of Trebbiano, and often Lambrusco, grapes (barrel aging helps lend that dark caramel color to the white grape juice). In essence, saba is literally balsamic before becomes balsamic — in Ancient Rome it was known as defrutum or sapa. The name “cooked grape juice” pretty much says it all, as the juice is cooked slowly until reduced by a third or more so it becomes concentrated and slightly caramelized.
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