Balsamic vinegar - recommendations please
Balsamic vinegar - recommendations please
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0a

Original Poster:

24,109 posts

220 months

Sunday 28th April 2019
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I like my food, but am not some crazy foodie or anything, so please forgive me for not knowing if there’s some obvious answer to this post!

It would be nice to have a good Balsamic vinegar or two in the kitchen, and to get recommendations as to which one is good for what.

So what’s good and available (ie nationally or online) that you would recommend?

I did a search for previous threads but they were over 10 years old, or died quickly (with a poster citing hundreds of pounds spent).

What’s the reasonable, available upgrade from the normal thin supermarket stuff? The equivalent from going from a £5 bottle of plonk to a £20 interesting wine?

Positive and negative thoughts welcome!

Turn7

25,457 posts

247 months

Sunday 28th April 2019
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Tricky one, as it can become like wine tasting.....

Supermarket stuff is tatt.

We bought some 15 year old stuff back from Italy, and the taste is sublime, its also incredibly unctious and hard to serve from the bottle.

I love BV, but so far, have only enjoyed the odd one or two UK examples from "foody" type suppliers.....

Try to find a local ish supplier or food fair to sample some......

Vaud

58,419 posts

181 months

Sunday 28th April 2019
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From the restaurant by the Ferrari factory for maximum PH-ness.

HM-2

12,467 posts

195 months

Monday 29th April 2019
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The only vaguely decent one I seem able to get around here is the Belazu one- https://www.belazu.com/shop/1-34-balsamic-vinegar-...
It's offensively expensive compared to most of the supermarket stuff, but pretty much every other one I've tried in the UK is either watery or unpleasantly acidic.

Rollin

6,312 posts

271 months

Monday 29th April 2019
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lauda

4,332 posts

233 months

Monday 29th April 2019
quotequote all
HM-2 said:
The only vaguely decent one I seem able to get around here is the Belazu one- https://www.belazu.com/shop/1-34-balsamic-vinegar-...
It's offensively expensive compared to most of the supermarket stuff, but pretty much every other one I've tried in the UK is either watery or unpleasantly acidic.
I'd second this, the Belazu stuff is really nice. Just don't look at the price.

TIGA84

5,550 posts

257 months

Tuesday 30th April 2019
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Same sort of principles as Olive Oil or Wine as you mention to a certain extent.

Cheap stuff if you're going to cook with it/heat it - expensive stuff if you're having it neat and cold on salads or in dressings or for dipping etc.

Waitrose usually have a decent selection of more "premium" balsamics if you have a look.

Mobile Chicane

21,884 posts

238 months

Wednesday 1st May 2019
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Aspall's Apple Balsamic is something different and not too sharp.

I use it 'as is' on salads, without any added oil.

anonymous-user

80 months

Wednesday 1st May 2019
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Jamie Oliver?

  • ducks*

Vaud

58,419 posts

181 months

Wednesday 1st May 2019
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sambucket said:
Jamie Oliver?

*ducks*
I don't think he would fit on my salads.

0a

Original Poster:

24,109 posts

220 months

Sunday 12th May 2019
quotequote all
lauda said:
HM-2 said:
The only vaguely decent one I seem able to get around here is the Belazu one- https://www.belazu.com/shop/1-34-balsamic-vinegar-...
It's offensively expensive compared to most of the supermarket stuff, but pretty much every other one I've tried in the UK is either watery or unpleasantly acidic.
I'd second this, the Belazu stuff is really nice. Just don't look at the price.
Thanks - ordered!

0a

Original Poster:

24,109 posts

220 months

Friday 17th May 2019
quotequote all
0a said:
Thanks - ordered!
Totally delicious, thanks for the recommendations everyone!

dickymint

28,752 posts

284 months

Saturday 18th May 2019
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0a said:
0a said:
Thanks - ordered!
Totally delicious, thanks for the recommendations everyone!
What? one hundred and ten quid and comes in a cardboard box .............



You really bought that?