"Giusi" > wrote in message
>
> A drop on a grilled fillet mignon, a drop on some strawberries. It is
> used in drops and never in salad dressings.
> I consider the fake balsamic as bad a food invention as Hamburger Helper.
>
We can blame or thank the Frugal Gourmet for that. Balsamic was rarely
heard about in the US until he bought some and started using it on his
cooking show. Of course, just like the lemon reamer he used, people en mass
sought the product.

Some of the cheap balsamic products are decent for what they are, but
without a base to compare to, the general public has been snookered by the
name and people both here and Italy have made money from the popularity. I
recall seeing a bottle of the imitation stuff at a local gourmet shop near
us with a price tag of $12. An hour later I saw the identical bottle in the
local sup ermarket for less than $4. The real stuff has an ingredient list
of one item. Anything else is a fake.

"Ed Pawlowski" > ha scritto nel messaggio >
> "Giusi" > wrote in message
>>
>> A drop on a grilled fillet mignon, a drop on some strawberries. It is
>> used in drops and never in salad dressings.
>> I consider the fake balsamic as bad a food invention as Hamburger Helper.
>>
> We can blame or thank the Frugal Gourmet for that. Balsamic was rarely >
> heard about in the US until he bought some and started using it on his >
> cooking show. Of course, just like the lemon reamer he used, people en
> mass > sought the product.

How can you blame him when what he did was expose the real thing? The fact
that a bunch of people decided to concoct a fake one for the people who
wouldn't pay for the real thing is not his fault.

Why should someone need sweet vinegar for salads? Is this part of the
dessertification of American food? My local dive started serving fake
balsamic with salads and I just said no. They will get it for you if you
ask now, but it isn't the standard offering.

If for some reason you gotta have sweet salad, then search for a recipe for
fruit vinegars and make some. I make an elderberry and a blackberry
"vinegar" which are really sweet and sour spicy sauces. Drizzled over
cheese they make an easy and yummy antipasto. They taste good on cheese ice
cream. They are a decent addition to a fruit salad.
>
> Some of the cheap balsamic products are decent for >what they are, but >
> without a base to compare to, the >general public has been snookered by
> the > name and >people both here and Italy have made money from the
> >popularity.

But you can make something much better for almost no money. At end of
summer elderberry is ripe along every stream and country road. Go pick
some. Make Elderberry Vinegar. Costs maybe $2.00 for a liter or so.