Secret recipe - Northern Italy

Special feature Northern Italy : Secret recipe

Every family produces it under their roof, literally, the collection of kegs sleeping in the loft, well aired but still warm, perfect conditions for a soft evaporation. These barrels of vinegar will soon be part of the females' endowment and of the familial heritage, each one having their own recipe and particular taste which connoisseurs would know to distinguish between. Highly regulated since 1987, the production of balsamic vinegar in Modena is still the subject of a yearly competition whereby each house brings along its small bottle, deposited anonymously on a table. Experts then work through them one by one, pass them in front of a candle flame to check on the colour and then decide whether or not to award it the precious label. The only criterion: the vinegar must be 12 years old and have passed through at least 3 barrels.

A tradition of colour

Every dish its vinaigrette