Do all balsamic vinegars essentially taste the same?

I've bought the expensive stuff. But I'm just as happy with the store-brand. You just have to try both and decide for yourself.

I love balsamic vinegar!!

My understanding is the darker and thicker it is the better. I buy a middle priced one, cause it can get VERY expesnive for salads.

Balsamic vinegar is, at it's best, just grape musts that have been aged in barrels between 12-30 years. Most that you buy in the store are grape musts added to wine vinegars and sometimes have sweeteners and thickeners. All of those taste more or less the same and definitely aren't bad, suitable for daily use.

The only grocery store vinegar that is just musts but hasn't been aged I've found is Modenaceti brand Aceto Baldamico di Modena.

Try a variety of different brands and see what you think! Settle on the one you like the best.

I also believe it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway, white balsamic is different than its darker counterpart.

Good luck finding one you love!

A good trick is to take the cheap Balsamic and reduce it in a pan until it gets a thicker consistency and let it cool before using.

I do this ALWAYS! Om nom nom!

Depends on the range of vinegars you're looking at. If you're getting into true and/or aged balsamics, they're going to taste very different than what you traditionally find in the grocery store. And they also start getting much thicker, starting out almost at what a traditional balsamic would be reduced to in a pan.

Balsamics from places in Italy like Modena or Reggio Emilia will carry a seal that can only be approved by governing parties in Italy that it's an official, traditional aged balsamic. And they can be aged 100 years or more and cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars. The most expensive one we sold in the store I worked at was $300 for approximately 6oz.

But there are younger balsamics, around 10 years or so, that can also carry the seal and will be much more reasonably priced, more in the $15-$25 range for around 8oz.

If you ever want to really taste a variety of balsamics, head to your nearest specialty foods store. They will often have samples available if you ask. The store I worked at actually did a balsamic tasting class once, where we even sampled out the $300 bottle.

Mind you, I hate balsamic vinegar, so it's all lost on me. But I did put together all of the teaching materials, chose all of the oils, and taught the olive oil tasting class. But that's whole other thread. lol

A good trick is to take the cheap Balsamic and reduce it in a pan until it gets a thicker consistency and let it cool before using.

I do this ALWAYS! Om nom nom!

Me, too, especially when I want to drizzle it over a good parmesan.

For cooking, a medium grocery store balsamic is fine. The difference between a $6 balsamic and a $10 balsamic is minimal. A $100 balsamic is a different story and not something you would cook with. So called "balsamic glazes" as sold in the grocery are simply boiled down balsamic unless they have other stuff added to them.

I go to the specialty store and get the 25 year aged stuff for around $20-$25/8oz. TOTALLY worth it. You don't need a ton, and it's perfect for the most delicious salad dressings/bread dips. I've never had more expensive stuff than that, but I imagine it would be great. I especially love some of the flavored stuff - black cherry, fig, etc. If I was going to cook with it, I'd use the much cheaper thinner stuff from the grocery store.

To me, no they don't. Now whether you can taste the difference or care to pay the differences in prices for the different balsamic vinegars on the market is a different issue.

We have a local specialty shop in our downtown area that sells nothing but balsamic vinegars and olive oils. My last balsamic was fig and right now I am enjoying a blueberry. Fruit balsamic vinegars are amazing!