A Few Words On Salad
The word “salad” comes from the Latin herba salta, meaning “salted herbs,” so called because such greens were usually seasoned with dressings containing a lot of salt.
Salad dressings date back to ancient times: the Chinese have been using soy sauce for 5,000 years; the Babylonians used oil and vinegar for dressings nearly 2,000 years ago; and Worcestershire was derived from a sauce used in the days of Caesar. Romans preferred their grass and herb salads dressed with salt, while Egyptians favored oil, vinegar and Oriental spices. Mayonnaise is said to have made its debut at a French nobleman’s table over 200 years ago.
In the 20th century, Americans made dressings a fine art by using basic
ingredients (oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and spices) to create an infinite variety of dressings to make salads the best ever. “Store bought” dressings were largely unavailable until around 1920.
Source: www.whatscookingamerica.com, courtesy of Linda Stradley.