Everyone knows balsamic vinegar: it’s in supermarkets around the world and often mistaken as just another salad dressing ingredient. But its real story is far richer – and far more exclusive. As British journalist Giulia Crouch recently highlighted in her piece for The Times, there are two very different worlds within the category: one is mass-market; the other is a slow-aged artisanal product known to chefs and gourmands as one of Italy’s greatest culinary expressions. It’s time to learn how to tell the difference! 

The history of balsamic vinegar reaches back to Roman times, when cooked grape must (mosto cotto) was used as both a sweetener and a medicinal tonic. During the Middle Ages, balsamic vinegar began appearing in noble households, often given as a gift or part of a dowry.