I Asked 4 Italian Chefs the Best Way To Use Balsamic Vinegar (One Answer Truly Surprised Me)

I used to think of balsamic vinegar as having all the flavor and aroma of a sweaty foot. I dreaded ordering Caprese salads or roasted vegetables in restaurants, only to discover my vegetables were soaked in vinegar. Then, I took a trip to the city of Modena, in northern Italy. This region is known for two things: It's the home of Ferrari and the birthplace of balsamic vinegar. I like to know how things are made, and only Ferrari owners can request factory tours, so I reluctantly went to learn about balsamic vinegar.

I quickly discovered that Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is something special. It's a viscous, complex, sweet-sour product unlike anything I'd ever tasted before. It's more like a tangy Port wine than a vinegar, and by the end of my factory tour, I was eating balsamic off a spoon. I brought home as much of this liquid gold as I could fit in my carry-on! Later, while I was unpacking, it dawned on me that I don't actually know how to use this stuff in recipes. I decided to ask chefs from the region for their best ideas.

I'll never own a Ferrari, but now I can use balsamico like an Italian!

The Expert Chefs

• Anna Iazzetta: Chef-instructor at 0059 Food Lab, a scuola di cucina in Modena, Italy
• Emilio Barbieri: Chef at Strada Facendo in Modena, Italy
• Luca Marchini: Chef at Trattoria Pomposa and Pizzeria tRe in Pomposa, both in Modena, Italy
• Nicola Olivieri: Pastry chef and owner of Olivieri 1882 in Veneto, Italy

What’s the Best Way To Use Balsamic Vinegar?

In general, the culinary experts agreed on one thing: That you need at least two different types of Aceto Balsamico di Modena at home for different occasions. The first is an everyday balsamic, something lighter for green salads, reductions, and cocktails. The second is a thicker, aged balsamic vinegar to use for roasted meat, fresh pasta, and ice cream. I only have one option in my cupboard, and one good balsamic is probably all that most of us need. (Don't tell the Italians.)

Chef Barbieri likes using Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI on both raw and cooked vegetables or on red meat like roast beef. I had roasted vegetables with balsamic at his restaurant, and I can attest: It's tasty.

"You can also add a few drops to mayonnaise to give it more flavor," he says. If Barbieri has an aged vinegar, he uses it on risotto with 30-month Parmigiano Reggiano, meat carpaccio, vanilla ice cream, or fresh strawberries. 

Chef Anna Iazzetta of the cooking school in uses balsamic to add a hint of sweet-sour flavor to sauces or reductions in first or second courses. "I particularly love pairing it with scallops," she says. Like Barbieri, Iazzetta also saves her good aged balsamic for risotto, or "even on lemon gelato to create a licorice aftertaste." This last idea surprised me—how had I not thought of this already?!

The owner of Pizzeria tRe in Pomposa, chef Luca Marchini, says Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is great drizzled on pizza. "I have one at my pizzeria with a Parmigiano Reggiano bechamel," he says. Marchini also caramelizes onions in balsamic to pair with a fish dish.

Nicola Olivieri, a pastry chef, uses balsamic vinegar in his panettone. "When we combined [the two], we discovered that the gentle acidity and aromatic depth of the balsamic perfectly enhanced the sweetness and richness of the dough." He says this creates a flavor that’s deeply Italian: "elegant, harmonious, and full of character."

I'm not sure I'll ever bake a panettone at home, but I might test out Iazzetta's tip to pair lemon gelato and balsamic vinegar. I will definitely drizzle balsamic on risotto or use it when caramelizing onions. I'm going to need more vinegar!