French dressing facts for kids
A sandwich topped with Catalina French dressing
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| Type | Salad dressing |
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| Main ingredients | Oil, vinegar, sugar, tomatoes, paprika |
French dressing is a popular creamy dressing, especially in the United States. It can be light orange or bright red. This dressing is made with oil, vinegar, and sugar. Its color often comes from tomatoes and a spice called paprika. You might find it somewhere between Russian dressing and Catalina dressing in taste and look.
Contents
The Story of French Dressing
From Vinaigrette to Creamy Dressing
Long ago, in the 1800s, "French dressing" simply meant a vinaigrette. A vinaigrette is a simple mix of oil and vinegar. Even today, many professional chefs still use this original meaning.
But in the early 1900s, American recipes for French dressing started to change. People began adding new flavors to the basic oil and vinegar mix. These new ingredients included Worcestershire sauce, onion juice, ketchup, sugar, and even Tabasco sauce. Even with these changes, the name "French dressing" stayed the same.
Bottled Dressings and New Flavors
By the 1920s, you could buy French dressing in bottles. One early brand was "Milani's 1890 French Dressing." Today's French dressing is usually sweet. It gets its orange or red color from paprika and tomatoes.
There are two main types you might see. Regular French dressing is often pale orange and creamy. Catalina French dressing is usually bright red and a bit less creamy. In some places, like the Mississippi Gulf Coast, people even dip pizza in Catalina French dressing!
Popular Brands You Might Know
Many companies make French dressing in the United States. Some well-known brands include Annie's, Bernstein's, Dorothy Lynch, Heinz, Ken's, Kraft, Newman's Own, Marzetti, and Wish-Bone.
How French Dressing is Regulated
Rules in the United States
For a long time, the ingredients in French dressing were controlled by rules in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) set these rules between 1950 and 2022. They said French dressing had to contain specific amounts of vegetable oil, vinegar, lemon or lime juice, salt, sugar, tomato paste, and certain spices.
However, on January 12, 2022, the FDA changed these rules. Now, companies in the U.S. can choose what ingredients they want to use in their French dressing.
Rules in Canada
In Canada, there are still rules about French dressing. The Food and Drug Regulations, part of the Foods and Drugs Act, state that French dressing must be made with vegetable oil and either vinegar or lemon juice. Also, the final product must have at least 35 percent vegetable oil.
