Caprese salad with aged balsamic vinegar
A simple and fresh Italian caprese salad with flavourful aged balsamic vinegar. This salad is best when served chilled.
Ingredients
Serves: 4
- 4 to 6 large ripe salad tomatoes
- 4 fresh mozzarella balls
- salt and pepper, to taste
- extra virgin olive oil, to taste
- aged balsamic vinegar (or even balsamic glaze this time), to drizzle
- a few fresh basil leaves
Method
Prep:15min ›
Ready in:15min
- Chop your tomatoes and slice the mozzarella cheese then place it on a platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Cut up a few fresh basil leaves and add as decoration. This dish is best when served chilled.
Balsamic vinegar
Balsamic vinegar is most certainly one of the top Italian ingredients that can change everyday foods into a unique, mouth-watering experience. Original balsamic vinegar is made from the reduction of grape juice, usually trebbiano or lambrusco grapes. The rich, dense liquid that derives from this reduction, called must, is then put into barrels for several years to age. The minimum stay in order to receive the dop status (which stands for protected origin of the product) is 12 months. Under that period balsamic vinegars are not to be considered traditional. Ageing can go up to 18, 25 years or even more, and generally each threshold has a specific labelling. Traditional balsamic vinegar holds two specific typical denominations, which are: aceto balsamico tradizionale di modena and aceto balsamico tradizionale di reggio emilia. If the standards required to acquire the specific regional denomination are not met, it means the product is an imitation and therefore cannot be labelled accord.
