WHAT IS A SALAD?

 

 Some of the definitions which best describe a SALAD are:

1. A dish of raw leafy green vegetables often tossed with pieces of other raw or cooked vegetables, fruit, cheese, or other ingredients and served with a dressing.

2. A cold dish of chopped vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, eggs, or other food, usually prepared with a dressing, such as mayonnaise.

3. Food mixtures either arranged on a plate or tossed and served with a moist dressing; usually consisting of or including greens.

4. A salad is food served with dressing. The food can be a cold dish, or green vegetables or a mixture of fruits, or a hot mixture of hot piquant food, or a frozen mixture of bland fruits, or chopped food in hot aspic, coleslaw potato or meat.     (Theory of cookery)

In general, salads are cold preparations made from raw, cooked or blanched vegetables, singly or in combination, and can include other items such as fresh herbs, fruits, nuts and cooked eggs, pasta, rice, fish, meat and poultry.

Salads in different countries are known by a different name. Some of the common names’s it is pronounced are:

Nederland:  Salade, Sla, Mengsel

French: Salade

German:  Salat

Italian:  Insalata

Portuguese: Salada

Spanish:  Ensalada

Swedish:  Salad, Grönsallad

A SALAD CAN BE SERVED IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT COURSES, SUCH AS:

1. SALAD COURSE: In a very formal meal experience, salads are sometime served after a main course. Such salads are light and refreshing in nature and provide a change from the heavy main course. Well-dressed salad greens and savoury vegetables are a popular choice.

2. MAIN COURSE: It is also substantial enough as a main dish. One of the body building foods such as meat, fish, egg or cheese forms the base. The volume and richness of these salads are adequate to satisfy a normal appetite.

3. ACCOMPANIMENTS:  The salad is also served as accompaniment with the main course.

A SALAD CAN BE OF TWO TYPES:

SIMPLE OR PLAIN SALAD

These salads can be further subdivided in green salad or salad in season, which is served raw or cooked. Such salads normally use only a single kind of vegetable as a base and only one or two ingredients in small quantity as decoration or garnish.

COMPOUND SALAD

Compound salads are more elaborate salads which consist of more than one ingredient. Such salads can be further subdivided in four major groups:

1. FISH BASED

2. VEGETABLE BASED

3. POULTRY,GAME OR MEAT BASED

4. FRUIT BASED.

A SALAD CAN BE SUBDIVIDED IN FOUR MAJOR PARTS:

BASE:

The base may be made up of lettuce, cabbage or any other leafy vegetables. It must cover the bottom part of the salad. The leaves must be clean and thoroughly washed because they can contain a lot of soil and insects. Preferably all the salads leaves must be washed with chlorine solution.

SOME OF THE SALAD LEAVES USED IN MAKING OF A SALAD ARE:

 

ROMAINE LETTUCE: Romaine combines good flavor and crunch, plus it has a decent shelf life in the refrigerator.  It’s the preferred green for Caesar salad.  Green romaine is the most common variety, but you can sometimes find red romaine, which is tender.

RED SANGRIA LETTUCE

Thick rose blushed leaves over a blanched pale-yellow heart make for an attractive lettuce.Very good eating quality

 

RED MUSTARD:   This has a pungent, peppery flavor that adds zip to salads.

DANDELIONS:   Dandelions have a somewhat bitter flavour, which Europeans appreciate more than Americans.   Older dandelion greens should be cooked; younger ones can be cooked or served raw as a salad green.  They’re available year-round, but they’re best in the spring.

BODY

The body comprises of the main ingredient of the salad. It must be proportional to the base. The body must comprise of small bite size pieces of the ingredients. The ingredients used should have a balance of flavors and taste.

GARNISH

The main purpose of a garnish is to add a eye appeal to the finished product. But a certain number of times it can also be added to improve the taste of the salad. Can be either a part of the body also. It should be kept simple.

DRESSINGS

A Dressing is served with all salads, it is used to flavour the salad provides food value and improves palatability and appearance. Dressing may be in liquid or semi liquid form. It can be made with a variety of ingredients ranging from oil-vinegar, cream, yogurt, egg, and cheese.

SOME COMMONLY USED DRESSINGS ARE:

French dressing- Three parts Oil and one part vinegar with mustard and garlic.

English dressing- one part of oil and two part vinegar, English mustard and seasoning.

American vinaigrette- equal quantities of vinegar and oil, mustard and seasoning.

Mayonnaise – Egg yolks and oil and vinegar.

Russian dressing – Mayonnaise with horseradish grated onion and chilli sauce or catsup; sometimes with caviar added.

Salad cream – A Creamy salad dressing resembling mayonnaise.