Moscatel Vinegar Is The Ingredient You Need To Upgrade Almost Any Dish

While you're probably familiar with different types of vinegar, such as red wine and balsamic, have you ever heard of moscatel vinegar? You're going to want to get to know this honey-hued liquid. It may not be easy to find, but it's worth the effort spent seeking it out. Moscatel vinegar, which comes from Spain, is a versatile ingredient with both savory and sweet applications. Let's be clear: This product bears no relation to the similar-sounding muscatel wine, which isn't exactly known for its quality. Moscatel vinegar is made from Moscatel de Alejandria grapes and used to make dessert wines.

What makes this vinegar stand apart from its peers? First, it's more delicate and lighter than most other kinds of vinegar; it won't overpower your salads and other dishes (even desserts). Flavor-wise, moscatel vinegar has sweet notes of honey and floral elements. This unique vinegar also has a fruity quality that may remind some of stone fruits, such as apricots and peaches.

Moscatel vinegar is known for its fruity, floral quality and amber color. It's delicate enough not to overpower less robust flavors, making it a great addition to nearly any seafood dish, even those featuring milder fish. Try using moscatel vinegar instead of white wine vinegar in a traditional beurre blanc sauce to pair with salmon and sauteed vegetables or a vinegar-forward mignonette, often served with oysters. A dash of this vinegar could also brighten a dish like shrimp scampi. In this preparation, you could use it instead of lemon juice or as an additional element for acidity and sweetness. 

Alternatively, you can test out moscatel vinegar in any vinaigrette recipe. You don't need much besides good, quality olive oil to create a delicious dressing, but you could add a touch of honey to bring out the similar notes in the vinegar. This vinaigrette would work well in a salad of spring vegetables, as it won't overpower the light flavors of the produce. Moscatel vinegar can enhance a simple side dish of roasted vegetables as well.

Due to its unique sweet and sour flavor profile, moscatel vinegar doesn't only boost the taste of savory meals and side dishes; it does incredible things for desserts as well. Swap out a tablespoon of cold water for this vinegar when making a pie crust; it adds a fruity note to the crust and helps bring the dough together to make it flaky. Using this infused crust with a peach or nectarine pie filling would be a fantastic way to boost the stone fruit notes in moscatel vinegar while complementing the fresh fruit. This vinegar makes an incredible substitute for balsamic in the classic pairing of balsamic and strawberries. Moscatel vinegar would also make a wonderful addition to fruit salad, perhaps paired with fresh mint.

Whatever way you're inspired to use it, this distinctive vinegar is worth a try. While you may not be able to find it in your local supermarket, it's readily available online, and some specialty food shops may carry it as well. Cost-wise, you can expect to pay around $9 for 12-ounce bottles or between $12 and $25 for 17 ounces.