Salad cream is a creamy, pale yellow
condiment
A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to enhance the Flavoring, flavour, to complement the dish or to impart a specific flavor. Such specific flavors generally add sweetness or pungency, or sharp or piquant ...
based on an
emulsion
An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally Miscibility, immiscible (unmixable or unblendable) owing to liquid-liquid phase separation. Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloi ...
of about 25–50 percent
oil in water, emulsified by
egg yolk
Among animals which produce eggs, the yolk (; also known as the vitellus) is the nutrient-bearing portion of the egg whose primary function is to supply food for the development of the embryo. Some types of egg contain no yolk, for example bec ...
and acidulated by spirit
vinegar
Vinegar () is an aqueous solution of diluted acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains from 5% to 18% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting ...
. It is somewhat similar in composition to
mayonnaise
Mayonnaise (), colloquially referred to as "mayo" (), is a thick, creamy sauce with a rich and tangy taste that is commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, Salad#Bound salads, bound salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various o ...
, but mayonnaise is made with oil as its main constituent whereas salad cream is based on vinegar and water. Both salad cream and mayonnaise usually include other ingredients such as
sugar
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose
Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...
,
mustard,
salt
In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...
,
thickener,
spice
In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...
s,
flavouring and
colouring. The first ready-made commercial product was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1914,
where it is used as a
salad dressing and a
sandwich
A sandwich is a Dish (food), dish typically consisting variously of meat, cheese, sauces, and vegetables used as a filling between slices of bread, or placed atop a slice of bread; or, more generally, any dish in which bread serves as a ''co ...
spread.
Historically, salad cream, often mentioned in Victorian sources, consisted of "hard-boiled eggs puréed with cream, mustard, salt and vinegar".
Brands
In the UK, it has been produced by companies including
H. J. Heinz Company and
Crosse & Blackwell. Heinz Salad Cream was the first Heinz brand developed exclusively for the UK market. When first created in the
Harlesden kitchens of Heinz in 1914, it was prepared by hand. The jars were packed in straw-lined barrels with 12 dozen in each. The quota was 180 dozen jars a day, with a halfpenny a dozen bonus if the workforce could beat the target.
In the 1990s, Heinz was considering discontinuing the brand. The BBC described the public response as an "outcry". Heinz relaunched salad cream a few months later with a £10m advertising campaign, redesigned packs and increased price points.
In 2017, Salad Cream was the fifth best-selling table sauce in the UK according to data from
Nielsen, with sales of £28.8m.
See also
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List of sauces
The following is a list of notable Culinary art, culinary and prepared sauces used in cooking and food service.
General
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* – Creamy sauce accompanies with seafood
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Miracle Whip, a similar North American condiment
References
External links
"Salad Cream," from BBC h2g2 site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Salad Cream
British condiments
Salad dressings
Sauces
Mayonnaise
Heinz brands
Products introduced in 1914