Mystical, Magical Maletti

For some, our Aceto Balsamic Maletti needs no introduction. It is the number one secret ingredient in their pantry. All their non-FASSY friends wonder how this friend’s culinary creations are always so much more flavorful than their own. 

There’s more than one reason Maletti is our number one selling product at vomFASS Madison. It takes almost everything it touches to new gastronomic heights. We firmly believe there should be a bottle in your kitchen, too—especially during the height of tomato season. It’s not just an ordinary balsamic vinegar—it’s transcendent.

One of our store associates got her two year old to eat almost anything when she put a bit of his “magic juice” (aka Maletti) on whatever veg or protein she wanted him to eat!

More Delicious with Maletti…

Those “in the know” know Maletti is about the only thing that makes a store-bought tomato palatable. If that’s possible, can you imagine the symphony created when it’s added to a soil-grown, vine-ripened summer tomato??? 

Try it on…Grilled or steamed vegetables, fish or seafood, Fois Gras, cured meats, pasta, pizza, risotto, BBQ meats, cheeses, ice cream, cheesecake, strawberries (or how about strawberries on ice cream?). 

Through the ages, balsamic vinegars have also been used as a digestif at the end of a meal to improve digestion.

How is Maletti so Versatile?

It is the combination of taste, texture and aroma which makes Maletti so versatile. The sweetness of the grapes combines with the sour notes from the acetic acid formation during vinegar fermentation. The texture becomes thicker with the evaporation which comes through aging in wooden barrels, allowing the flavors to linger longer on foods and on your palate. The sweet/sour notes combine with the woody aromas and flavors from being aged in barrels, to create a robust and harmonic combination with unique umami notes. The depth and balance of its flavor is why it works so well with both sweet and savory foods. 

Balsamic Tradition

The making of true balsamic vinegar is a tradition more than a thousand years old, in the Modena and Reggio Emilia provinces of Italy. (During Medieval times it was often a valuable addition to the dowries of young women.) Today, a true balsamic must be made in one of those two areas and have only one ingredient, the must (grape juice, skins and seeds) of the Trebbiano or Lambrusco grapes grown in those regions. A 100ml bottle of 25-year aged Balsamico Traditionale today will cost between $130 - $219. At $18.99 for the same size, our vomFASS Maletti provides our customers with the flavors of a traditional balsamic with a considerable savings for maximum enjoyability across a wide range of dishes. 

Don’t be Fooled 

If you go to a standard grocery store, you may get overwhelmed with the number of products claiming to be balsamic vinegars. It is a verifiable case of buyer-beware and good example of you-get-what you pay for. Many of the lesser products are vinegar-based balsamics with more wine vinegar than concentrated grape must, and many have caramel color to make up for the fact that they haven’t been aged, or aged very long, in the wooden casks which impart so much flavor. 

You may also find “balsamic glazes” which are not balsamic vinegars, but products made from concentrated vinegar-based balsamics sweetened with sugars, starches or gum additions. When you taste our Maletti, you’ll find that it is already quite thick, no reduction needed!

Life Changing

When Justin Gibson (proud owner of vomFASS Madison) was in grad school attending a study abroad program in Germany, he walked into a quaint little shop where the proprietor kept trying to have him try some “weirdly named vinegar.” Finally, to get the guy to quit offering it, Justin tasted the sample of Maletti. Some version of “heavens opened, and angels began to sing” happened, or maybe it was the nirvana of all of those flavors hitting his palate at once. One thing we know for sure is that Justin wanted to bring that flavor to America. He grabbed a brochure and, to abbreviate a 15-year history, opened the first vomFASS in the USA and changed more than a few lives (and palates) in the process.

We invite you to come in and taste our true balsamics this weekend. Get a bottle of Maletti or refill one you already have. Let’s not waste a second of this high summer tomato season!

Roasted Balsamic Strawberries & Burrata 

Fired Polenta Bruschetta