Coffee- interesting things to know

Coffee, my favorite drink of all times, has a very long and colorful history, one that embraces all cultures in the world.


Who discovered coffee? Well, that is hard to say.  There are stories about Kaldi, a 9^th Century Ethiopian goatherd.  Story goes that his goats would gather by certain  “berry” bushes to eat the fruits.  


The fruit was actually a coffee berry/cherry.

What? Berry/Cherry? Yes.  Coffee is actually a berry pit! Can you believe that? The berry pit was then called a “ bean” because of its resemblance to a bean.



From Ethiopia, coffee then traveled to Egypt and Yemen. The first solid evidence of coffee drinking and knowledge of the coffee tree dates back to the middle of the 15^th Century from scriptures found at Sufi monasteries of Yemen. Interestingly enough, Mocha (do you recognize the name??) is a port city on the Red Sea coast of Yemen.  Well, Marco Polo passed through Mocha during his travels and brought some Mocha coffee beans back with him- however, Marco Polo is NOT responsible for introducing coffee to Italy or Europe (much like pasta).


By the 16^th Century, coffee reached the rest of the Middle East, Persia, Turkey, and Northern Africa, followed by Italy, the rest of Europe, to Indonesia and the American continent.


I could literally go on and on about the history of coffee, but a few highlights:

•      The first literature about coffee used for medicinal purposes dates back to 1454, when Adb al-Qadir al-Jaziri wrote about Sheikh Jamal-al-Din al-Dhabhami, who used coffee to drive away sleep.
•           The first ever coffee house opened in Istanbul in 1554- and, believe it or not, coffee was not a very popular topic back then. In 1511, coffee was forbidden because of its stimulating effects, and conservative, orthodox imams banned it. However, due to popular demand, the ban was overturned in 1524 by an order of the Ottoman Turkish Sultan Selim I, who allowed the consumption of coffee. Similar events took place in Cairo, Egypt around 1532, where coffee houses and warehouses containing coffee beans were destroyed  (this reminds me of the Prohibitions times).
•       Coffee was imported to Italy from the Ottoman Empire. Venetian merchants introduced coffee- drinking to the wealthy in Venice, charging them an arm and a leg.  Because of the luxury associated with drinking coffee, it became a very coveted drink and therefore spread throughout Europe.
•       The first European coffee house was opened in Venice, Italy, in 1645.
•       The first coffee house in England, The Grand Cafe (still in business today!!!)  opened in Oxford, England by a Jewish man named Jacob in 1650. http://www.thegrandcafe.co.uk/.  
•       In Austria, the first one opened in Vienna around 1683- Melange is the typical Viennese coffee, which comes mixed with hot foamed milk and a glass of water.
•       At some point in time, women were banned from coffee houses around Europe

Any of us who’ve gone to Starbucks or similar coffee houses know that there are about gabazillion coffee drinks out there. I wonder if I’m the only one who rolls my eyes every time I hear someone in front of me ordering a “Grande white chocolate mocha Frappuccino light blended coffee with an extra shot of espresso, one pump of sugar free vanilla, and skim whipped cream on top”???? Seriously??? WHAT IS THAT?


Here are some of the typical coffee drinks you hear about:

·      Americano: shot of espresso with about a glass of hot water- totally insulting (LOL!)

·      Caffe’ Latte: single shot espresso in steamed milk. (3 coffee to 1 milk)  If you order a latte in US, this is what you get. If you order a latte in Italy, you’ll get a cup of milk, because Latte means “milk”

·      Café au Lait: similar to Caffe Latte, but the difference is that brewed coffee is used instead of espresso.  Also, the ratio of coffee to milk is different, and makes this drink milder. (1 coffee to 1 milk)

·      Caffe’ Macchiato: a shot of espresso with steamed milk. The ingredients are the same as Caffe’ Latte, but the ratio between coffee and milk is different (about 4 coffee to 1 milk)

·      Capuccino: Espresso, Steamed milk, and frothed milk, topped with cinnamon or flacked chocolate. (1 espresso to 1 steamed milk to 1 frothed milk)

·      Irish coffee: coffee spiked with Irish whiskey, cream on top (woo hoo!)

·      Turkish Coffee: boiled finely ground coffee and water, forming a muddy thick coffee mix. It’s poured in tiny cups, and left to settle for a while before serving- if you’ve ever been lucky enough to have been served the true Turkish coffee, you’ll love what comes right after: the reading of the coffee grounds  (a bit like fortune/future telling)- very fascinating!

There are numerous coffee beans out there: Columbian, Arabica, Java, Sumatra, and Kona.
The most expensive coffee in the world, which will cost you about $50 per cup, is the Kopi Luwak.  Up till now, I thought it was the Kona coffee- boy, was I wrong.


If you have a sensitive stomach, STOP READING NOW!!!


Why is this coffee so darn expensive? Well..it’s made by coffee beans that have been eaten, partly digested, and then excreted by the Common palm civet, a weasel-like animal (here's a picture of the cute critter...). 

This animal eats the raw red coffee cherries. 

The civet digests the fruit, but does not digest the pit, which gets, shall we say…passed back to nature. It is said that the partial digestion is what gives this coffee bean the unique flavor, by way of getting rid of the bitter flavor of the pit.  Brrrrr.
It’s safe to say that I’ll never, ever drink this coffee, for the one and only reason  that it’s so darn…..expensive. Yes, that is it.


Check out a coffee- inspired dessert recipe under the "Recipe" tab :-)

The Cali-talian: Pesto alla Genovese

The Cali-talian: Pesto alla Genovese: "I cannot believe all the hits I received on my Pesto blog, so I though it'd be best if I went ahead and posted my recipe of Pesto alla Genov..."

Pesto alla Genovese

I cannot believe all the hits I received on my Pesto blog, so I though it'd be best if I went ahead and posted my recipe of Pesto alla Genovese.
The authentic recipe is made with a pestle and mortar, but I don't have time for that, so I make it with my food processor.

The authentic Pesto is made with Italian basil, which is not easy to find.  The basil that is found in the US grocery stores is rather minty. Italian basil is sweet, so if you buy US basil, expect the Pesto to be slightly on the minty side, but you probably wouldn't know the difference unless you've tried the authentic Pesto, first.


Ingredients:
2 cloves of garlic
2 pinches of sea salt
2 oz (50gm) of basil 
1-2 fistfuls of pine nuts
9 Tbsp of Parmesan Cheese
4 Tbsp of Pecorino Cheese
1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil


Directions:
Take the 2 cloves of garlic and place in food processor and turn on high for 20 seconds.  Add the sea salt and pulse for a couple of seconds.
Add the basil, a little at a time, and mix it by using the pulse setting on  your food processor (if you don't have that option, turn it on and off until all the basil is mixed with the garlic and salt).
Once the basil starts to show a bright green residue (shouldn't take long), add the pine nuts and mix for a minute or so.
Add the cheese, and mix by using the pulse setting on your processor.
The last ingredient will be the Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  I mix that by hand, rather than with the food processor, so to minimize any oxidation.


I always taste my sauces and make minor adjustments- you might find that it's not as salty as you want it to be.  Or maybe it's too salty.  If too salty, add more basil or pine nuts (don't add anymore Pecorino in this instance, since that cheese is rather salty on its own).  Also, depending on the quality of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil, it might taste too strong- in that case, you can add a bit of plain olive oil to blend the bitterness.

Enjoy on pasta!  I snapped a couple of pictures of my dish, I sprinkled a bit of Parmesan Cheese on top to dress it up.  

Salt rocks!

There are different thoughts on the health benefits and risks of salt.

First off, big disclaimer:

This blog is NOT intended to provide medical advice.  I don’t claim to be a doctor or a practitioner. 

That being said, salt has been extremely popular throughout the ages.  In Roman times, soldiers were given a handful of salt every day as a form of payment for their duties.  The salt rations were then replaced by money to allow each soldier to buy their own salt.  The money received was referred to as their “salt money” (salarium in Latin).

Aside from its economical mark throughout civilization and human consumption, salt has also been used medicinally.  Salt is a powerful antiseptic agent; it is used as an antihistamine, expectorant, and as a phlegm-thinner.

There is a school of thought that believes salt is actually not bad for you, that it doesn’t raise blood pressure. Keeping in mind that it is just that, one school of thought (please remember I’m not a doctor, I’m just gathering information- please do your research and consult your physician!), some believe that it is the insufficiency of other minerals that normally hold on to and keep water inside the cells that cause a raise in blood pressure.  Given in conjunction with other minerals, salt would actually lower your blood pressure to normal values.

There are many types of salts, but I wanted to highlight a few:

Sea Salt  (also known as bay salt or solar salt)

 In a nutshell, Sea Salt is obtained by evaporating of the water from the sea brine.  This is accomplished by one of two methods: by sun drying (typically in warm and dry climates) or by other expensive fuel sources in other climates.

As the second method is quite costly, modern Sea Salt is mostly produced in the Mediterranean and other warm, dry climates. Examples are Italy, Greece, France, but Sea Salt is also produced in the Cayman Islands, Colombia, Ireland, the UK, South Korea, USA (Hawaii, Maine, Utah, Cape Cod, the San Francisco Bay), Canada, Philippines, Israel (Dead Sea), Japan, Mexico, and Brazil.

Sea Salt involves little to no processing!  THAT, along with the flavor, is the reason why I prefer Sea Salt to table salt. 

Table Salt (also referred to as Iodized Salt)

This salt is mined from salt deposits that are found underground.  Table Salt is heavily processed to do away with trace minerals, as well as to prevent clumping during packaging.  Iodine is typically added to table salt. Calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, and aluminum hydroxide are often added to Table Salt to improve the salt’s texture.

Kosher Salt

This salt usually has no additives and, unlike table salt, comes in big crystals, allowing the salt to absorb more moisture than other forms of salt, making Kosher the salt of choice for curing meats- that being the reason for the name “kosher”.  One shouldn’t confuse the name of the salt with the Jewish food laws, but the salt is used to make kosher meat.   The Torah prohibits consumption of blood, that being the reason why kosher meat is slaughtered in a ritualistic manner by which blood is drained completely. Since Kosher Salt absorbs the most moisture, it is used to remove the final traces of blood from the meat by salting it.  Kosher Salt is quite popular amongst cooks because of its coarse texture. It is also used to salt the edge of margarita glasses (Yippee!)  

Pink Himalayan Salt

This salt was formed about 250 million years ago when the energy of the sun dried up the original primal sea. I was introduced to this salt while shopping at Trader’s Joe (one of my most favorite grocery stores!).  I was attracted by its pink hue.  So I bought it and loved it right away.  The first thing I noted is that is has a sort of sweet taste to it.

Well, apparently, this salt is quite special.  It is believed to be completely pure, due to the many thousand of years of maturity under extreme tectonic pressure, kept away from exposure to impurities such as heavy metals and industrial toxins present today.  It is minimally processed, hand-mined and hand-washed.  It is believed to contain about 84 trace minerals from prehistoric seas!!

Alaea Hawaiian Sea Salt (also known as red volcanic)

This salt I noted during one of my trips- the hue of this salt is dark pink.   Alaea Salt is the traditional salt of Hawaii.  This salt is non-processed and is rich in trace minerals.  The salt is enriched with small amounts of harvested reddish Hawaiian clay (‘Alae), which contains Iron Oxide.  The clay is what gives this salt its deep pink color. Hawaiians use this salt in ceremonies to cleanse, purify, and bless tools and canoes.  It is also used in rituals for medicinal purposes.

Hawaiian Black Lava Sea Salt

Another super-neat salt from Hawaii, this salt is literally black, glossy black!  It is incredible to see. Hawaiian Black Lava salt is evaporated with black lava rocks, and then charcoal is added.  Before you scratch your head and think to yourself “WHY???”, you might want to know that charcoal (the one from Mother Nature) is a great digestive aid and an anti-toxin. I haven’t tried this type or the Alaean one, but you bet I will, next time I go to Hawaii!

I love salt. I personally try my best to use the least processed ingredients in my kitchen, and I am truly lucky to have access to many gourmet grocery stores where I live: Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Gelson’s, Sprout, Henry’s (to name a few).  Some of you might live in areas where these stores are not available. You might be surprised to know that these types of salt are becoming more and more popular, and are probably available at your own grocery stores. Next time you go grocery shopping, see if you can spot them.  Give each one of them a try, you might be surprised by the difference they make in your kitchen.

History of Pasta.

So…I did a bit of internet research, coupled with what I thought was reality- I have to say, I'm a bit heartbroken.

For many years, this is what I believed: Marco Polo brought back the noodle concept from China.  Well, come to find out, this is actually a myth- kinda like the Toothfairy, Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny (Shhhh! Don't tell my kids, they don't quite know that yet!)

The word pasta comes from the latin word pasta (imagine that!), from the ancient Greek pàsta, literally meaning "flour with sauce", deriving from the verb  pàssein.

Pasta date as far back as the Neolitics (around 8000 AC) when man started cultivating grains.  With grain cultivation came the the grinding of the grain to a powder form, which was then mixed with water and then either cooked or sun dried.

Pasta is, in fact, a universal food, as history of its use can be traced throughout the European and Asian continents.

The Etrusco-Roman civilization used pasta in the similar fashion as eaten today, made from durum wheat.  It was called lagane (which, interestingly enough, is the word-origin for lasagna).  Back then, pasta was not boiled; rather, it was cooked in an oven.

Around the 8th century, the Arab invasion began the regional cuisine influence.  For example, the Arabs introduced pasta to Sicily, which began producing maccheroni, or as we refer to in the US, macaroni, which is derived from the sicilian word maccharuni, literally meaning "to shape pasta with force".  No one is really sure how maccheroni was served during those times, but given the Arab influences, it was probably prepared with raisins and spices.  To this day, the Italian island of Sicily is a major producer of pasta.

Due to its nutritional properties and long shelf life, pasta became a really popular product and it was an ideal food for long ship voyages.

Pasta became really, really popular with the introduction of the tomato (tomatoes are NOT natives of Europe- they come from America!!!!)

There are literally hundreds of pasta shapes, each invented for its particular purpose.  Some pasta shapes are designed to hold on to meat sauces, while others are better suited for lighter sauces, such as tomato or creams. Just think of maccheroni with ridges versus the smooth penne.  Some are in the shapes of a bowtie (farfalle- butterflies), some are wide and some are thin. Some are long, thin tubes, such as spaghetti, while others are slightly larger and hollow on the inside (bucatini)

While the typical pasta is made of durum wheat, you can also find: 

• whole wheat pasta
• rice pasta (asian pasta)
• egg pasta (home-made)
• potato pasta (gnocchi)
• pasta with vegetables (green is typically spinach, red is tomato, black is squid ink).

My favorite commercial pasta is Barilla.  Check out the Barilla website and you will be marveled by the many shapes and uses of pasta!

www.barillaus.com

I make pasta from scratch (when I have time...).  I was born and raised in Bologna, which is located in the region of Emilia-Romagna (interestingly enough, where the Etrusco-Romans settled!).  My home region is famed for making the best fresh pasta around.  If you ever have the time to make pasta from scratch, you will be able to taste the difference. It's amazing, trust me, and the commercial pasta will be a disappointment from that moment on.  

I will be sure to add my pasta dough recipe. It's quite simple, actually.  The ingredients are: all purpose umbleached flour (I prefer the King Arthur flour), eggs (I prefer organic), and seasalt. That is it! 

Welcome and Please click on "follow" my post!

Hello!  I wanted to send a quick note to encourage you to "follow" my blog. It is in its early stages, but I am planning on adding links to stores where you can buy the ingredients and utensils I use in the kitchen.

Federica :-)

Olive Oil, the Liquid Gold

The olive tree is believed to be native to the Mediterranean and thrives close to the sea, where other plants cannot tolerate the increased salt content of underground water.

Widespread olive tree cultivation took place in the island of Crete, Greece as long ago as 2,500 BC.  The earliest olive oil ‘bottle’ (it was an amphorae) dates to 3500BC. The olive oil production is believed to have started before 4000 BC.

I bet you didn’t know…..

·      In Ancient Greece, women created eye shadow by mixing ground charcoal with olive oil, and applied olive oil to their skin and hair after bathing as protection from the elements and to maintain a pleasant fragrance (God knows, they probably needed it…this was before the age of deodorants!).

·      In Homer's Odyssey, the Phaeacian princess Nausicaa carries a golden flask filled with olive oil. She and her maids anoint themselves with the oil after bathing in the river.

·      In Homer's Iliad, Hera cleans her skin with ambrosia and anoints herself with olive oil, and Aphrodite anoints the dead body of Hector with rose-scented olive oil.

·      During training and competition, Greek athletes slathered their bodies in olive oil and a light dusting of sand in order to protect their skin from the sun and to regulate body temperature. 
After training or competition, the athletes would then scrape the oil, sweat, and sand from their skin with a tool called a strigil.

·      Hippocrates called olive oil "the great therapeutic."

·      In Ancient Rome, pregnant women applied olive oil to their skin to prevent stretch marks. Many women today still follow this practice.

·      In the Bible, King Solomon pays for wood to build his temple with olive oil, wine, barley, and wheat.

·      Castile soap made from olive oil is believed to have originated in Castile, Spain (the territory was known then as the Kingdom of Castile).

·      Cristoforo Colombo introduced olive oil to the Americas in 1492. Olive oil was unavailable in the United States until Italian and Greek immigrants began importing it from their home countries (you’re welcome-LOL!)

I could go on and on about facts and history on olive oil.

WHY is it that I want to blog about olive oil?  Well...

1. Olive oil is a staple in Mediterranean cuisine and, interestingly enough, Mediterraneans have one of the lowest cardiovascular-related mortality rates, whereas people living in Finland and the USA, who consume the highest amounts of saturated fats, have the highest in the world- YICKES!
2. Olive oil contains more monosaturated fatty acids that ANY other fat or oil, it is the most easily absorbed edible fat, it contains NO (zero, nada, niente, nietz) cholesterol.
3. I bet you didn't know that olive oil is technically a fruit juice rather than an oil. The olives are pressed to release their juices just like an orange or a lemon be pressed.
4. Extra virgin is the highest quality and most expensive form of olive oil. It comes from the first pressing of the olives. It is the least acidic and has the fruitiest flavor.
5. You can use olive oil for cooking pretty much anything. I personally use Extra-virgin olive oil for salads and fresh entrees.  When I need to cook ingredients (bake, sautee, grill), I use regular olive oil because extra-virgin olive oil  possesses a very strong taste that becomes umpleasant during the cooking process.
6. Lastly, when you buy olive oil or extra virgin olive oil, keep in mind that the best storage containers for olive oil are made of either tinted glass (to keep out light) or a nonreactive metal, such as stainless steel. Avoid metal containers made of iron or copper because the chemical reactions between the olive oil and those metals create toxic compounds. Avoid most plastic, too; oil can absorb noxious substances such as polyvinyl chlorides (PVCs) out of the plastic. Containers also need a tight cap or lid to keep out unwanted air.

Remember: heat, air and light are olive oil’s enemies!

These elements help create free radicals, which eventually lead to excessive oxidation and rancidity in the oil that will leave a bad taste in your mouth. Even worse, oxidation and free radicals contribute to heart disease and cancer.

Unlike wine, oil does not improve with age. As olive oil gets older, it gradually breaks down, more free oleic acid is formed, the acidity level rises, and flavor weakens. Extra-virgin oils keep better because they have a low acidity level to start with, but you should use lower-quality oils within months because they start out with higher acidity levels. As oil sits on your shelf, its acidity level rises daily, and soon it is not palatable. 

You'll get the best quality and flavor from your olive oil if you use it within a year of pressing. Olive oil remains at its peak for about two or three months after pressing, but unfortunately, few labels carry bottling dates or "use by" dates, let alone pressing dates.

All my recipes call for oil use Olive Oil only.

Pesto alla Genovese- it comes from a regal herb

This sauce originated in Genova, a city in the Liguria region of Northern Italy- Liguria is located right next to France!

The word “pesto” comes from the Genoese word “pesta’” which means to step foot on, pund, crush.  The ingredients in Pesto Genovese, in their original form, should be pounded with a mortar and wooded pestel.  Nowadays, the process has mostly turned from pounding to grinding.

The pesto recipe does derive from an earlier recipe of the 1200s, at which time a type of pesto with garlic, vinegar, olive oil and salt was used to preserve cooked meals and to cover aromas and flavors of bland meats, as well as meats in their early stages of spoilage.

Basil, the main ingredient in Pesto alla Genovese, has a reputation of being a ‘regal herb’.  The word Basil comes from the latin word basilicum/basieus, which translated in “regal herb”.

In ancient times, basil was cultivated in Greece and Arabic cultures as an ornamental plant. In India, this herb was considered a sacred plant. 

There are numerous species of basil, and many of them are used for cosmetic and medicinal purposes.

It is in the region of Liguria that this herb is used for culinary purposes.  The variety of basil cultivated in Liguria are: Giant Genovese basil, Dwarf Genovese basil, and Common Genovese basil. 

The most common and economical types of basil that you typically see at the grocery stores have been cultivated in China, Israel, and Chile.

As in most ingredients in the Italian cuisine, all ingredients for Pesto alla Genovese are simple and fresh: garlic, pine nuts, basil leaves, Parmesan Cheese, Pecorino Cheese, and olive oil.  No salt is required because the Pecorino Cheese is quite salty on its own.

In Genova, Pesto accompanies Trenette, a type of linguine pasta.

 The fun part about making this pesto is that there is absolutely no cooking involved and is completely vegetarian.

Ragu' alla Bolognese- it ain't the canned abomination you buy at the grocery store!

Ragu’ is a term with French roots (originally ragôut).  The word ragôut is a derivative of the word ragôuter, which loosely means “to reawaken the appetite”).

According to my Google search, the ancient Romans invented this tasty recipe.  The Gallic Barbars, during the times of the Roman invasions, reinvented the Roman recipe, giving birth to the ragôut.

At first, the ragu’ was a type of stew that would be consumed as a second serving.  But, as time went on, it went through several transformations and was used for things such as bread spread or as a side dish to meat entrees. Much later, ragu’ began to be thought of as a pasta condiment.  

Ragu’ went through some changes in its recipe.  In order to maintain the authenticity of the Ragu' alla Bolognese recipe, the Italian Academy of Cuisine decided to notarize and preserve this recipe in the Palazzo della Mercanzia, the Chamber of Commerce of the City of Bologna on the 17th  of October 1982.

I love Ragu’ alla Bolognese.  I remember my Nonna Italia, who used to make ragu’ all the time. It tasted slightly different from my Mom and Dad’s, but I suspect such is because she use chicken in lew of pork.

More recent memories are of my parents, Paolo and Marinella, who made (and still do) ragu' all the time, and my most vivid memory being about how long it would take for this sauce to cook!

The recipe requires very simple and basic ingredients: carrots, celery, onion, ground beef, ground pork, wine, salt, tomato paste, and milk.  That is it!  The secret in creating the perfect Ragu’ alla Bolognese is the order in which each ingredient is carefully cooked to perfection before adding the next one, followed by the obligatory slow, long cooking.  The typical batch of Ragu’ alla Bolognese requires four to six hours of slow cooking.

But, trust me, it’s well worth the effort!

Balsamic Vinegar- Did you know?

Balsamic Vinegar (aceto balsamico originale di Modena, which literally means “original balsamic vinegar from Modena”), born in the city of Modena, Italy, was first made around the year 1000, and has been used throughout the years not only as a condiment, but also for its medicinal purposes.  The first ever documentation of the use of Balsamic Vinegar dates back as of 1046.

Balsamico comes from balsam-ish or like meaning “to cure”.

Rumor has it that around the year 1046, a Benedict monk pronounced balsamic vinegar as salutary (super-duper healthy), the beautiful Lucrezia Borgia used it to cure childbirth pains, thanks to her monstrous husband’s use, the Duke of Modena Francesco IV, who used it to soothe his ulcers, and a music composer used it to calm his nerves.

Production of balsamic vinegar requires the use of Trebbiano  and Lambrusco grapes, which are grown in the Emilian countryside.  These grapes are slow-cooked over an open fire and reduced to approximately one-third of the overall original volume.

The cooked product is then filtered and poured into oak barrels, where maturation during the winter months occurs.

Springtime commences the aging process.  After which, the vinegar is poured in small casks made of different kinds of wood (typically oak, chestnut, cherry, ash, mulberry).  Each type of wood will produce a particular taste and color to the final batch.

Of course, like anything else, the longer the aging process, the more complex and expensive the vinegar becomes.

Be aware of the type of balsamic vinegar you choose.  Not all ‘traditional’ balsamic vinegars are created equal or are authentic. The Consorzio Aceto Balsamico Di Modena created a special seal that can only be affixed around bottles that pass “the test”.  If the vinegar bottle is wearing the CAMB seal, the vinegar is guaranteed to have been made from grape varieties produced and bottled in or around Modena. 

A burgundy CAMB seal means that the vinegar was aged for at least 2 months, while a white and gold CAMB seal means that the vinegar was aged for at least 3 years.

As for Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (you know, the REAL stuff), look for the words Consorzio Produttori Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena on the bottle.

Any other vinegar bottle is basically an imitation to the ‘real thing’.