We Went To Modena And Didn't Leave Empty Handed
We went to Modena (Italy) and we're telling you all about it!
In 2019, AKKA was still in its early stages of the journey: discovering cultures, ingredients, methods and all that makes the culinary world the beautiful art that it is.
...And with balsamic being a delicacy on all our tables, we decided to take a trip to Modena, the balsamic capital of the world, to learn all about it and immerse in its glory.
Made of grapes, authentic balsamic vinegar originates from the Italian city of Modena using a 1,000 year old process that has developed in the region and continues to be passed down to generations till date.
Being inspired by such authenticity, we were driven to take a trip to Italy and learn all about the true world of balsamic to help us perfect all the right notes in the development of AKKA's Pomegranate Balsamic.
It was in December when Marcello welcomed us in his family acetaia, dating back to 1860s, to tell us all about the history of balsamic vinegar, how it's produced, how to taste test, and what makes the perfect batch.
Simply put, balsamic is made of boiled grape-must which includes all of the grape's components - skin, seeds, stems - and is left to ferment in wooden barrels and acidify throughout time.
A line of barrels consists of different sizes, from large to small scales, where the same batch of balsamic prepared is transferred from one barrel to the other, every 1-3 years on average, for an intensified flavor.
It is so precious, that a new line of barrels gets set-up every time a newborn is welcomed to the family, and it is recorded under his/her name - a lifetime treasure.
Traditional aged balsamic requires a very refined process with meticulousness and patience to produce 12 y/o, 25y/o, and 100 y/o aged balsamic vinegar.
Yes, 100 year old aged balsamic. Simply put, it is black gold! Only 5 bottles per year on average.
It has this richness of flavor that has intensified throughout the years in a smooth thick texture. This was found in a special basement where 'century' old barrels were placed. An admirable piece.