French dressing

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French Dressing is a term used in Britain and the U.S. in particular, to describe the most common salad dressing in France: the vinaigrette, and its many variations. The dressing is generally accepted to be a type of vinaigrette but often includes different ingredients. It seems one of the few countries where the term is not used is France, where this salad dressing is only ever referred to as a vinaigrette.

History

The term "French Dressing", to describe vinaigrette, became popular in Britain and the USA in the 1880s, and as salads increased in popularity, many different variations of the condiment emerged.

The dressing has appeared on US restaurant menus since 1899,^[1] if not earlier.

New variations continue to emerge.

Interpretations

UK

The British French Dressing is more varied than the American version, and the ingredients differ depending on taste. Most common recipes contain olive oil and white or red wine vinegar or lemon juice as a base and can often contain salt, sugar, pepper, mustard, and garlic. There is no set manufactured French dressing recipe and companies often make several different types of dressing to suit different tastes.

United States

In the United States "French dressing" is almost always a reddish orange color (never true red, never white). It is a homogenized, pureed, uniform viscous sauce with a tangy sweet flavor. Unlike a typical French vinaigrette, there are no bits of herbs or spices floating in it. It is generally made from vegetable oil, vinegar, ketchup (or tomato puree), water, paprika, other spices, and sweeteners, all thoroughly blended.

References

1. ^ “Hotel Baltimore” restaurant, St. Joseph, Mo., menu dated July 8, 1899: "Lettuce, French Dressing. 10."

External links

• Food Timeline
• Dressing Recipes
• Dressing History

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