Italian dressing history Italian dressing as we now know it is an American invention. It gets its name from the herbs and other seasonings used in the most popular Italian dressing recipe such as oregano, basil, and garlic along with love oil and vinegar. These ingredients were once associated primarily …
Duck sauce history Duck sauce comes in two forms: Chinese-American and French. The Chinese-American version is the best-known of the two and is still served in many Chinese restaurants on the U.S. east coast. The French version may be harder to find. Duck sauce does not come from China. It …
According to food historians, teriyaki first showed up in the Edo period between the 1600s and the 1800s. Historians also believe that the cooking style was a product of significant changes in Japanese society at the time including urbanization and new agricultural methods. It was one of several dishes of …
Sweet pickle relish is said to be America’s oldest condiment, but its roots are in India. The popular version in early America copied an Indian chutney. Chutneys had made their way to the New World via the British Empire. In India, chutneys are a condiment that may be served with …
Ranch dressing was invented in 1954 by a cowboy from Nebraska named Steve Henson. Henson worked in Alaska as a plumbing contractor for several years. One aspect of his job there involved cooking for coworkers. It was during that period that he began to develop his buttermilk-based salad dressing. After …
Chimichurri sauce is often referred to simply as chimichurri. It is likely the most famous culinary preparation from Argentina but little is known about its origin. Most food historians believe Argentine cowboys — called gauchos — to be the inventors of chimichurri sauce. The gauchos raise the cattle that provide …
Gremolata is a parsley-based paste used in Italian cooking, specifically dishes from Milan in Lombardy. The basic gremolata ingredients are parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. There are many versions with some blends including capers or anchovies. The history of gremolata is not well documented though the word is a relatively …
Tzatziki is a sauce or dip popular in the Middle East and Mediterranean region. Tzatziki and tarator sauces share the same roots. Tarator came along during the Ottoman Empire’s Medieval period and took on different incarnations from region to region. Tzatziki is one of those incarnations. While some versions of …