Article: Her dark materials ; It takes 12 years to make real balsamic vinegar, but its magical ability to enhance almost any dish, from roast meat to poached pears, makes it well worth the wait, says Skye Gyngell. Photographs by Lisa Barber

There are few foods I can think of that are not enhanced by a few drops of aged balsamic vinegar. Here at Petersham we use it all the time. It's delicious with unadorned prime cuts of beef, fish, veal or poultry, as well as calves liver, pigeon and quail. Because of its sweet-sour nature, it also offsets salads of bitter leaves such as dandelion and rocket. Plus, it's delicious drizzled over heady, ripe strawberries, peaches and blood oranges just before serving.

The Italian word "balsamico" comes from balm, meaning protective, soothing and calm. It takes just three ingredients to make balsamic - cooked grapes, wooden barrels and, most important of all, time. Unlike wine vinegar, balsamic ...

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