Balsamic vinegar: why 237 g per cup is wrong
Matvaretabellen (Norwegian Food Composition Table), balsamic vinegar (10.129) publishes 237 g (8.4 oz) per US cup of balsamic vinegar. This site rejects that figure. The sources it accepts put a cup at 255–269.7 g (9–9.5 oz), and it publishes that range rather than a single figure. The reason:
Balsamic vinegar of Modena may not be sold under that name below a density of 1.06 g/mL at 20 °C, and the table's own composition rules out water's weight: 15 g of sugar per 100 g weighs about 1.06 g/mL on its own, before the acid and grape solids. 100 g per decilitre is what water weighs, and the table's 11 g tablespoon would make balsamic lighter than olive oil. Measured balsamics weigh 1.078 to 1.14 g/mL.
The arithmetic
| Source | 1 cup | Density | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matvaretabellen (Norwegian Food Composition Table), balsamic vinegar (10.129) | 237 g8.4 oz | 1 g/mL | Rejected on physics |
| Accepted sources (4) | 255–269.7 g9–9.5 oz | 1.0778–1.14 g/mL | Published as a range |
The published figure and its sources
The full sourcing for balsamic vinegar, including every accepted and rejected figure, the state or filling method behind each, and the physics or standards reasoning applied, is on the ingredient page.
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