Balsamic Vinegar Origins :- • A type of vinegar of Italian origin, which started to be produced in a town called Modena more than 90 years ago. Although it is produced since a long time, it has only been largely known in the last twenty years at the level of the Italian market. It has been known only to the residents of the area and its surroundings through centuries before becoming one of the main features of the Italian food all over the world. • Balsamic vinegar is made of white grape juice which is concentrated through boiling until its color changes into brown and it loses almost one third of its volume through evaporation. It is then left to age in oak wooden barrels for a period not less than 12 years and may reach up to 100 years in some cases. The longer it is kept the more expensive it becomes. The balsamic vinegar is absolutely not considered a wine, though it has a distinct taste. • It is free from any alcohol additions, and although it is more expensive than ordinary vinegar, the quantities used are much smaller. • Balsamic vinegar used to be served to noble people 600 years ago, but with time it has been available in the supermarkets. The types of the barrels' wood used for the aging also changed: it is no more limited to the oak wood but also included chestnut wood. It is sometimes transferred during the aging process from one barrel to another and from one type of wood to another. It is also transferred to smaller barrels since the vinegar evaporates during the aging process. Uses of Balsamic Vinegar :- • It is used for preparing all types of salad and for the margination (soaking) of meat for spicing and also as a substitute to dressing and for preparing cold sauces, it can also be mixed with a little amount of olive oil to be used as alternative to butter so that it may be presented with fresh bread before meals. • It can also be used as a type of warm sauce with meats or poultry after being boiled and concentrated on low heat. It is usually used as a thin thread to decorate plates and add a distinct taste. •