Macaroni salad facts for kids
 
Top: Macaroni salad from Dayton, Virginia
Bottom: Filipino chicken macaroni salad |
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| Type | Salad |
|---|---|
| Course | Side dish or appetizer |
| Serving temperature | Cold |
| Main ingredients | Macaroni, usually mayonnaise, onions, pickles, celery |
Macaroni salad is a yummy, cold dish made with small, cooked macaroni pasta. It's usually mixed with mayonnaise and other tasty ingredients. People often eat macaroni salad as a side dish at barbecues, with fried chicken, or at picnics.
This popular pasta salad often includes chopped onions, crunchy pickles, and celery. It's usually seasoned with salt and pepper to give it a great flavor.
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Macaroni Salad Around the World
Macaroni salad is enjoyed in many places, but each country might have its own special way of making it!
In Australia and New Zealand
In Australia and New Zealand, this dish is often called pasta salad. You can usually find it ready-made in supermarket delis. It's commonly made with cooked shell-shaped pasta pieces.
In the Philippines
In the Philippines, macaroni salad is a bit different. It's often served as a dessert or a starter, and it has a mildly sweet taste. Filipino macaroni salad usually doesn't have onions, pepper, or celery.
Instead, it might include sweet jellies, cheese, and different kinds of fruit. It's a popular dish during special times like Christmas and New Year's Day, or at parties. A popular version adds shredded chicken and is called chicken salad or chicken macaroni salad.
In the United States
In the United States, macaroni salad is a common item found in delis. It's a classic side dish for many meals.
Hawaii's Mac Salad
In Hawaii, macaroni salad is a very popular part of a "plate lunch". A plate lunch is a meal that usually has a main dish, rice, and macaroni salad. Hawaiian macaroni salad is traditionally made with grated onion and macaroni that is cooked until it's very soft.
Other US Variations
In Rochester, New York, macaroni salad is a key part of a famous meal called the Garbage Plate. This unique dish includes different foods all on one plate, and macaroni salad is one of them!
In Puerto Rico, macaroni salad can be made with mayonnaise, mustard, and sometimes even canned tuna or small pieces of Spam. It might also have onions, Cubanelle peppers, and pimentos.
