Thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon. Nothing added to make it that way.

Plenty of balsamic gets its body from caramel and thickeners. This one gets it from time. Acetaia Malpighi, run by the same family in Modena since 1850, ages its Gold balsamic for 15 to 20 years in wooden barrels until it turns glossy, dark and naturally dense: round and intense, with a balanced acidity.

The details

• Maker: Acetaia Malpighi, Modena, Italy. Family run since 1850, now in its fifth generation
• Certification: Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP
• Aging: 15 to 20 years in wooden barrels
• Density: 1.34, naturally syrupy
• Ingredients: grape must from the family's own vines, wine vinegar. No caramel, colouring, thickeners or preservatives
• Diet: vegan and gluten free
• Size: 250 ml
• Imported by: Taycte, Charlotte, North Carolina

How to enjoy it

Use it to finish, never to cook. A few drops go a long way.

• Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano with sliced pear
• Fresh strawberries or vanilla gelato
• Risotto, especially mushroom or Parmigiano
• Beef carpaccio, scallops or sashimi
• Grilled meat and vegetables, at the very end