Flavoring of vinegars is becoming more popular. These can be used to spark up a classic dish or add a richer flavor to meat or poultry. Balsamic vinegars can come in rich, sweet-acidy flavors, with a hint of berry, honey, ginger or chocolate. If you are looking for a place to buy gourmet balsamic vinegars, try the AllSpice Culinarium in Des Moines.

AllSpice sells a wide variety of balsamic vinegars, such as blackberry ginger, cinnamon pear, dark chocolate, espresso, fig and traditional. Balsamic vinegar is made from freshly pressed juice from Trebbiano grapes grown near Modena, Italy. The juice is boiled down until it is reduced by 30 to 70 percent. The fermentation process takes place in casks made from resinous wood chosen for the qualities it gives the balsamic vinegar.

The flavors offered at AllSpice rotate with the seasons and some are available for a limited time only, such as a strawberry flavor. According to Rory Brown, the current owner, the dark chocolate and blackberry ginger vinegars blend well with fresh fruit, such as melon, pineapple and berries. The traditional or espresso flavors are great choices for meats, chicken and stews. AllSpice’s traditional balsamic vinegar is produced in the traditional Modena style and aged up to 18 years in oak barrels.

Oil and vinegar salad dressings are good for your health. According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, “higher consumption of foods such as oil-based salad dressings that provide polyunsaturated fats, including alpha linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) may reduce the risk of fatal ischemic heart disease.” Vinegar is also used to combat fatigue, aid in digestion and fight cancer due to high amounts of antioxidants.

Brown has a favorite recipe for a Fustini, drums in Italian, which is a beverage blending half an ounce of balsamic vinegar with six ounces of club soda. Looking for a light salad? Try this blend of sweet and refreshing flavors.