Why Chefs Prefer White Balsamic Vinegar To The Regular Stuff
By Haldan Kirsch
While balsamic vinegar brings a powerful flavor to vinaigrettes, glazes, and sauces, white balsamic brings the same sweet-tart complexity without the dark color and syrupy texture.
White balsamic has a golden hue, and chefs love working it into recipes for its aesthetic value as it can easily stand in for classic balsamic without turning the recipe purple.
Both classic and white balsamic vinegar are made with Trebbiano grape must — the processed skins, juice, and pulp of the grape — before being cooked down into vinegar and aged.
White balsamic vinegar isn't aged nearly as long as classic, resulting in a toned-down version of bright, fruity acidity from apple cider vinegar with balsamic vinegar flavors.
White balsamic vinegar can be used any way you would normally use a classic balsamic. It can go into an easy balsamic vinaigrette, deglaze a pan, or add acidity to a sauce.