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About|the type of culinary dishmeals Salad is any of a wide variety of dish (food)|dishes , including vegetable salads; salads of legume s, egg salad|eggs , or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat , poultry , or seafood ; and fruit salads.Encyclopædia Britannica They may include a mixture of cold and hot items, often including raw vegetables or fruits.
Green salads include leaf lettuce and leafy vegetables with a sauce or Salad#Dressings|dressing . Most salads are served cold, although some, such as south German potato salad , are served warm.
Salads are generally served with a dressing, as well as various garnish (food)|garnishes such as Nut (fruit)|nuts or crouton s, and sometimes with the addition of meat, fish , pasta , cheese , Egg (food)|eggs , or whole grain s.
Salads may be served at any point during a meal , such as:
Appetizer salads, light salads to stimulate the appetite as the first course of the meal.
Side salads, to accompany the main course as a side dish .
Main course salads, usually containing a portion of protein (nutrient)|protein , such as Chicken (food)|chicken breast or slices of beef .
Palate-cleansing salads, to settle the stomach after the main course.
Dessert salads, sweet versions usually containing gelatin or whipped cream .
Etymology
The word "salad" comes from the French language|French salade of the same meaning, from the Latin salata (salty), from sal (salt). In English, the word first appears as "salad" or "sallet" in the 14th century.
Salt is associated with salad because vegetables were seasoned with brine or salty oil-and-vinegar dressings during Ancient Rome|Roman times.OEtymD|salad
The terminology " salad days ", meaning a "time of youthful inexperience" (on notion of "green"), is first recorded by Shakespeare in 1606, while the use of salad bar first appeared in American English in 1976.
The term "salad" is commonly mistaken as the term for prepared lettuce .
History
Food historians say the Romans ate mixed greens and dressing, and the Babylonian s were known to have dressed greens with oil and vinegar two thousand years ago. http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodsalads.html Food Timeline's History of Salads http://www.hungrymonster.com/FoodFacts/Food_Facts.cfm? Phrase_vch=Salads& fid=6086 Hungry Monster's History of Salad Dressings http://www.salad-recipe.net/Salad-history.htm Salad Recipe's The Story of Salad's Success In his 1699 book, Acetaria: A Discourse on Sallets , John Evelyn attempted with little success to encourage his fellow Britons to eat fresh salad greens. http://www.cheftalk.com/cooking_articles/Food_History/78-The_History_Of_Salad.html Chef Talk's History of Salad Royalty dabbled in salads: Mary, Queen of Scots , ate boiled celery root over salad covered with creamy mustard dressing, Truffle (fungi)|truffle s, chervil , and slices of hard-boiled egg s.
The United States popularized salads in the late 19th century and other regions of the world adopted them throughout the second half of the 20th century. From Europe and the Americas to China , Japan , and Australia , premade salads are sold in supermarket s, at restaurants (restaurants will often have a " Salad bar|Salad Bar " laid out with salad-making ingredients, which the customers will use to put together their salad) and at fast food chains. In the US market, fast food chains such as McDonald's and KFC , that typically sold hamburgers , French fries|fries , and fried chicken , now also sell packaged salads to appeal to the health-conscious customers.
Types of salads
Green salad
The "green salad" or " garden salad " is most often composed of leafy vegetable s such as lettuce varieties, spinach , or Eruca sativa|rocket (arugula) . Due to their low caloric density, green salads are a common diet food. The salad leaves may be cut or torn into bite-sized fragments and tossed together (called a tossed salad ), or may be placed in a predetermined arrangement (a composed salad ).
Vegetable salad
Vegetables other than greens may be used in a salad. Common vegetables used in a salad include cucumber s, Bell pepper|peppers , tomato es, mushroom s, onion s, Scallion|spring onion s, red onion s, avocado , carrot s, celery , and radish es. Other ingredients, such as olive (fruit)|olives , boiled egg|hard boiled egg , artichoke|artichoke hearts , heart of palm , bell pepper|roasted red bell peppers , green bean s, crouton s, cheese s, meat (e.g. bacon , Chicken (food)|chicken ), or seafood (e.g. tuna , shrimp ), are sometimes added to salads.
Bound salad
A "bound" salad can be composed (arranged) or tossed (put in a bowl and mixed with a thick dressing). They are assembled with thick sauces such as mayonnaise . One portion of a true bound salad will hold its shape when placed on a plate with an ice-cream scoop. Examples of bound salad include tuna salad , pasta salad , chicken salad , egg salad , and potato salad .
Bound salads are often used as sandwich fillings. They are also popular at picnics and barbecues, because they can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.
Main course salads
Main course salads (also known as "dinner salads"Melissa Barlow, Stephanie Ashcraft. Things to Do with a Salad: One Hundred One Things to Do With a Salad . Gibbs Smith, 2006. ISBN 1-4236-0013-4. 128 pages, http://books.google.com/books? id=Ft04BDXZqhEC& pg=PA8& dq=dessert+salads+cookie+salad+pistachio+salad#PPA7,M1 page 7. and commonly known as "entrée salads" in North America) may contain grilled or fried chicken pieces, seafood such as grilled or fried shrimp or a fish steak such as tuna , mahi-mahi , or salmon . Sliced steak , such as sirloin or skirt, can be placed upon the salad. Caesar salad , Chef salad , Cobb salad , Greek salad , and Michigan salad are types of dinner salad.
Fruit salads
Fruit salads are made of fruit, and include the fruit cocktail that can be made fresh or from canned fruit.
Dessert salads
Dessert salads rarely include leafy greens and are often sweet. Common variants are made with gelatin or whipped cream ; e.g. jello salad , pistachio salad , and Ambrosia (fruit salad)|ambrosia . Other forms of dessert salads include snickers salad , glorified rice , and cookie salad popular in parts of the Midwestern United States.
Examples of salads
World salads
Main|List of salads
Other salads
The following is a list of additional salads: Div col|2
Vietnamese cuisine|G?i ngó sen - a Vietnamese salad
Tabouli
Taco salad
Tuna salad
Waldorf salad
Watergate salad
Div col end
Dressings
Sauces for salads are often called "dressings". The concept of salad dressing varies across cultures.
In Western culture, there are three basic types of salad dressing:
Vinaigrette
Creamy dressings, usually mayonnaise -based, but which may also contain yogurt , sour cream , buttermilk , milk , or crème fraiche
Cooked dressings, which resemble creamy dressings, but are usually thickened by adding egg yolk s and gently heating.
Vinaigrette IPA-en|v?n?'gr?t| is a mixture ( emulsion ) of salad oil and vinegar , often flavored with herb s, spice s, salt, pepper, sugar, and other ingredients. It is used most commonly as a Salad#Dressings|salad dressing , http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/knowhow/glossary/vinaigrette/ BBC Good Food but also as a sauce or marinade.
In North America, mayonnaise-based Ranch dressing is most popular, with vinaigrettes and Caesar-style dressing following close behind. http://www.foodchannel.com/articles/article/top-ten-most-popular-salad-dressing-flavors/ Top Ten Most Popular Salad Dressing Flavors on The Food Channel® Traditional dressings in France are vinaigrette s, typically mustard-based, while mayonnaise is predominant in Eastern Europe|eastern European countries and Russia . In Denmark , dressings are often based on crème fraîche . In southern Europe, salad is generally dressed by the diner with oil and vinegar.
In Asia , it is common to add sesame oil , fish sauce , citrus juice, or soy sauce to salad dressings.Citation needed|date=June 2010 The following are examples of common salad dressings:
Popular salad garnishes are nuts, croutons, Anchovy|anchovies , bacon|bacon bits (real or imitation), garden beet , bell peppers , shredded carrot s, diced celery , watercress , sliced cucumber , parsley , sliced mushroom s, sliced red onion , radish , sunflower seeds (shelled), real or artificial crab meat ( surimi ) and cherry tomato es. Various cheeses, berries, seeds and other ingredients can also be added to green salads. Cheeses, in the form of cubes, crumbles, or grated, are often used, including blue cheese , Parmesan cheese , and feta cheese . Color considerations are sometimes addressed by using edible flowers, red radishes, carrots, various colors of peppers, and other colorful ingredients.
Salad records
The moshav (agricultural village) of Sde Warburg , Israel , holds the Guinness World Record for the largest lettuce salad, weighing 10,260& nbsp;kg. The event, held on 10 November 2007, was part of the 70th anniversary celebration of the founding of the moshav. The salad was sold to participants and onlookers alike for 10 Israeli new sheqel|NIS per bowl, raising 100,000 NIS (over $25,000) to benefit Aleh Negev , http://www.aleh.org/eng/DisplayNewsStory.asp? ID=28 Aleh Negev a rehabilitative village for young adults suffering from severe physical and cognitive disabilities. Major General (Res.) Doron Almog , Chairman of Aleh Negev was present to accept the donation and commended the residents, who had grown the lettuce and prepared the salad on the moshav. The volunteer effort to prepare the salad itself took all day and most of the residents, ranging from many of the original founders of the moshav to young children, participated.
See also
Portal|Food
Antipasto
List of salads
Salad spinner
References
Reflist|2
External links
Sister project links
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp? articlekey=60654 Healthy salad recipes from MedicineNet
