Boiled dressing facts for kids
Boiled dressing is a creamy sauce often used on salads. It was very popular in the 1800s and early 1900s, especially in England and Germany. People used it as a tasty alternative to mayonnaise, which came from France. Boiled dressing was often easier for home cooks to make because the special oils needed for mayonnaise were not always easy to find back then. Mayonnaise itself wasn't sold in stores until 1912.
How to Make Boiled Dressing
There are many ways to make boiled dressing, but some common ingredients include vinegar, sugar or honey, milk or cream, eggs, salt, mustard, and flour. Sometimes, the dressing is actually boiled, but usually, it's cooked gently over boiling water. This is often done in a special pot called a double boiler. Boiled dressing was used in many popular salads like cole slaw, chicken salad, potato salad, and egg salad.
Different Kinds of Boiled Dressing
You might know some types of boiled dressing even today!
- Salad cream is a popular product in the United Kingdom. It's a type of boiled dressing first made by Heinz in 1914.
- Miracle Whip is another well-known version of boiled dressing. It became popular in the United States in 1933. The company Kraft Foods sells it, saying it combines the best parts of mayonnaise and old-fashioned boiled dressing.
A Look Back at Boiled Dressing
Boiled dressing has a long history in cookbooks and family meals. In 1915, the New York Times shared a recipe for boiled dressing. It was suggested for use in chicken salad or fruit salad during a big Christmas dinner. This recipe came from a home economist working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Some famous food writers had different opinions about boiled dressing. M. F. K. Fisher preferred mayonnaise. She thought of boiled dressing as old-fashioned because her grandmother always insisted on using it on lettuce. However, another food writer, James Beard, really loved cole slaw made with boiled dressing. This was because it reminded him of happy childhood memories. His family's cook, Jue-Let, made it, and she was a big influence on his love for cooking.
