Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is a special vinegar, that comes from the acetification of the cooked grape must. Its use can bring a lot of benefits. Let's discover them togerther!
In addition to be very versatile in the kitchen, Balsamic Vinegar has a big antioxidant capacity, thanks to the polyphenols, which are contained in it.
Why are the antioxidants importants and how do they fight the radicals?
The oxidation is a chemical reaction, that transferts electrons from a substance to an oxidant. During this chemical reaction, it’s possible to produce free radicals, that are the responsables of cell-damageing chain reactions. This phenomenon is called oxidative stress.
The antioxidant, or redecent agent, captures these free radicals and, in this way, it oxidates itself. So it oxidates and captures free radicals.
Which are the antioxidants in Balsamic Vinegar?
Balsamic Vinegar is full of polyphenols, strong antioxidants naturally occuring in the grape. Polyphenols reduce lipidic peroxidation risk, hypertension and damages to DNA.
The most representative polyphenols are the catechins, that are in huge amount in Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena: catechins have an antioxidant function and, moreover, they could break the atheromas, cholesterol plaques that can form in the arteries.
Different studies have noticed the capacity of the catechins to make the blood vessel walls more elastic, to the benefit of blood pressure values.
Another phenol in the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is the resveratrol. The resveratrol is a phenol produced by some plants (screw, blackberries, cocoa) to defend from bacterials and fungus.
This molecule called “longevity” was isolated by David Sincleir, teacher at Harvard Medical School, and it can activate a longevity gene, SIR2 (silent information regulator 2), increasing the insuline sensitiviy (more sugar gets into the cells and the sugar in the blood decreases).
A gene, SIR2, that silences the genetic pathways of ageing and ensures a better and longer lifestyle, slowing down the ageing process of the skin and the hair loss.
It seems that resveratrol has an active effect on visceral fat, converting it in energy. And we can find all of this in Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Sereni, an ancient-modern medical panacea.
Sweetness and Acidity - anti microbial function
Balsamic Vinegar of Modena has a sweet&sour taste. Sure you’ll have noticed that it has an acidic and a sweet component, that mix together make it pleasant to the palate and easy to match with the food.
The sweetness of Sereni’s Balsamic Vinegar is not for the sugars addition. The sugars are naturally inside of the grape. Acetaia Sereni cultivates directly Trebbiano and Lambrusco grape.
The acidity that you perceive is due to different acids, including acetic acid, tartaric acid and lactic acid.
The acids in the Vinegar have anti-microbials functions, because they are able to enter inside of the microbial cell and bring it to death.
Infact Balsamic Vinegar has been used throughout history as anti-microbial and anti-septic.
Remember that Balsamic Vinegar can be produced only in the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia. Acetaia Sereni is located in Villabianca, on the hills of Modena. Balsamic Vinegar is different from “balsamic vinegar glaze” or “balsamic vinegar cream”.
Do you want to know the differences between “Balsamic Vinegar of Modena” and “glaze”? Read here the entire article on “differences between Balsamic Vinegar and balsamic cream”.
Pairings
It’s excellent on salads, vegetables, chicken and game, boiled eggs or omelettes. If you choose a Balsamic Vinegar aged and thick, like our Mioaceto Silver Seal, aged for 13 years, you can use it on risottos, red grilled meats, filled pasta (ravioli, tortelli), carpaccio or tartare, cheeses.
For the most sweet-tooth: have you ever tasted it on the ice-cream?
