L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano F o r t h e s e c o n d y e a r i n a r o w , S a n F r a n c i s c o has become one of the West Coast capitals of the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. After a successful first edition, the Consortium of Bal- samic Vinegar of Mode- na partnered with restau- rants in the city to offer the opportunity to taste and pair the well-known and beloved condiment with unique local dishes. Additionally, in the week of September 12th, all restaurants competed for a c h a n c e t o w i n a s p e c i a l grand prize to be announced in the Fall. The same will h a p p e n i n L o s A n g e l e s , s t a r t i n g o n O c t o b e r 3 1 s t through November 6th. The Original Balsamic Week is part of the project "Balsamic Vinegar of Mode- na, the Original," focused on the US market and financed b y t h e E u r o p e a n U n i o n . Since 2016, the campaign has been adding value to the Balsamic Vinegar of Mode- na, especially when it comes to authenticity, safety, trace- ability, and labeling guaran- teed by the European trade- m a r k p r o t e c t i o n . T h e Consortium, on the other hand, has a much longer his- tory. Going back to its founda- tion in 1993, C o n s o r z i o Tutela Aceto Balsamico di Modena has been com- mitted to the registration of the denomination as a Pro- tected Geographical Indica- t i o n , w h i c h c a m e i n J u l y 2009. In 2014, the Consor- tium received the official assignment for the protec- tion of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI from the Italian M i n i s t r y o f A g r i c u l t u r a l , Food and Forestry Policies. The Consortium is nowadays considered the guardian of the product's specifications and a key discussion partner in all questions concerning the product at the regulatory level. It is also the "voice" of Aceto Balsamico di Modena, as it invests in its relation- s h i p s w i t h i n s t i t u t i o n s , media, and final consumers, promoting knowledge about t h e B a l s a m i c V i n e g a r o f Modena and its culture. According to Federico D e s i m o n i , t h e C o n s o r - t i u m ' s G e n e r a l M a n a g e r , " T h e O r i g i n a l B a l s a m i c Week gives the Consortium of Balsamic Vinegar of Mod- ena the opportunity to keep on leaving its mark within the US food and wine indus- try as an authentic European product. Today, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is well represented across the US, y e t t h e l i n k b e t w e e n t h e product and Modena, its ter- ritory of origin, and the cer- tification systems that guar- antee its authenticity are not w i d e l y a c k n o w l e d g e d b y consumers. The goal of the Consortium is to spread this knowledge." The roots of Aceto Bal- samico go back to Roman times, but its strong connec- tion with Modena was born i n t h e M i d d l e A g e s . I t i s believed that, in 1046, while traveling through the territo- ry of the Po Plain, Henry III, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, was given a "very perfect vinegar" by Bonifa- cio, Marquis of Tuscany and father of Matilde di Canossa. The encounter is well docu- m e n t e d w i t h r e f e r e n c e s made by the Abbot and his- torian Donizone, biographer of the Countess. Towards the end of the 13th century, the art of vinegar production b e c a m e p a r t o f t h e E s t e Court in Modena. In 1747, t h e w o r d " b a l s a m i c " w a s f i r s t u s e d i n t h e D u k e o f Este's cellar records. In the following century, the use of Modena's Balsamic Vinegar spread and so did its appre- c i a t i o n o u t s i d e o f t h e region. The Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is produced from g r a p e m u s t , f e r m e n t e d , cooked, or concentrated. The grapes come from different types of vines, such as Lam- brusco, Sangiovese, Treb- biano, Albana, Ancellotta, Fortana and Montuni. The final product includes wine v i n e g a r , i n t h e m i n i m u m amount of 10%, as well as 10-year-old aged vinegar. Processing follows the tradi- tional method of acetifica- t i o n t h r o u g h t h e u s e o f selected bacterial colonies or with slow surface or slow w o o d s h a v i n g m e t h o d s . Then comes the maturation, which takes place in barrels, vats or casks made from pre- cious woods, such as sessile oak, chestnut, oak, mulberry a n d j u n i p e r . T h i s s t e p should last at least 60 days, starting when the raw mate- rials, mixed in the right pro- portions, are sent to process- ing At the end of the matura- tion, a group of experts and tasters kick off the analytic and organoleptic tests. Only successful tests ensure the final product is certified as Balsamic Vinegar of Mode- na. Consumers can also know whether or not their Balsam- ic Vinegar got the Protected G e o g r a p h i c a l I n d i c a t i o n (PGI certification) by paying attention to a few things: its clear and brilliant appear- ance together with a brown and intense color; its bitter- sweet and balanced flavor, along with a slightly acetic a n d d e l i c a t e a r o m a w i t h woody overtones. Additionally, you will find it called Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (Aceto Balsamico di M o d e n a ) w h e n t h e a g i n g p e r i o d i s l e s s t h a n t h r e e years. When, on the other hand, the aging period is longer than three years, the designation Balsamic Vine- gar of Modena Aged (Aceto Balsamico di Modena Invec- chiato) is used. Because of t h e d i f f e r e n t p r o d u c t i o n processes and ingredients used, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is sold with charac- teristics that can vary great- ly. If it was aged for more than three years, it results in an excellent condiment for c o o k e d v e g e t a b l e s a n d meats. L'Italo-Americano was invited to try a few dishes at Bluestem Brasserie, downtown San Francisco, and enjoyed Balsamic Vine- gar with some dishes pre- pared by its chef. Bluestem i s a b e a u t i f u l l y d e s i g n e d restaurant on what it's called the Yerba Buena Lane. One of the many restaurants and bars in this unique alley, the p l a c e c e l e b r a t e d i t s 1 0 t h anniversary in 2021, after shutting down during the p a n d e m i c . L o c a l s a n d tourists have joyfully come back, filling a space that well fits the need of a business dinner and family gathering. Bluestem, founded by Stacy and Adam Jed, calls itself a "mission-driven company," a n d e m b r a c e s a f e w , y e t powerful values: integrity and equality, passion, sus- tainability, and well-being. The team focuses on local food while also adding the multicultural flavors that best represent San Francis- co's culinary scene. The pair- ing of some dishes with Bal- samic Vinegar wasn't hard at all, but other associations gave the chance to stay cre- ative while keeping an eye for a traditional taste. Our picks included vege- tarian dishes, as well as a choice of drinks that best matched this range of tastes. We started with a toasted g a r l i c s o u r d o u g h s l i c e , t o p p e d w i t h l o c a l m u s h - r o o m s a n d e n r i c h e d w i t h creamy porcini spread and tomato cheese. This was fol- lowed by shakshuka, which we chose among the "veg- etable-forward" options: the dish, perfect for sharing, is mainly baked eggs, served warm with stewed tomatoes and peppers, red harissa, cit- rus labneh, and some slices of bread. The Balsamic Vine- g a r d r o p s o n e a c h o f t h e three eggs added the right a m o u n t o f a c i d i t y t o t h e whole dish. Alongside the shakshuka, we got a duck confit salad, made of butter lettuce, mustard dressing, fine herbs and fried duck eggs, which completed the simple, yet flavorsome din- ner. We also enjoyed a drop of balsamic on the original Bluestem smash, a cocktail made of vodka, elderflower liqueur, seasonal fruit, mint, and some sparkling wine. Balsamic weeks return, offering a taste of the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena at San Francisco's restaurants SERENA PERFETTO Balsamic Vinegar of Modena dates back to 1046 and to Emperor Henry III (Photo: Serena Perfetto) SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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