Peek in an Alsatian cupboard, and you're more likely to find Melfor than any other vinegar. Created in 1922, Melfor is made from a closely guarded family recipe of alcohol vinegar, honey, and an infusion of plants and herbs. Melfor gently seasons vinaigrettes and marinades. With an acidity of 3.8 percent, Melfor is not acid enough to be called a vinegar according to French regulations, which require vinegar to have an acidity of 5 to 8 percent. Indeed, between 1933 and 1991, the sale of Melfor was banned everywhere but Alsace and Moselle, as a result of effective lobbying by a competing Dijonnaise vinaigrier.

Ingredients: Spirit vinegar (sugar beet base), water, honey, herbs (including mint and basil), lemon juice, caramel. Acidity: 4% 50cl (16.9 fl oz)