Cycle 3 – Item 161

14 (Thu) June 2012

Romaine & Mushroom Salad in Sesame Dressing

3.0

by me

at home

-Oksu, Seongdong, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

solo

A couple years ago, E-Mart released a bottled sesame salad dressing that’s become a personal favorite of mine.  While I tend to prefer crisp acidic dressings, this one is creamy and nutty and savory, the heavy texture especially effective when paired with bitter mixed greens.  The product seems to be indistinguishable from, just as good as, the famous goma (“sesame seed”) dressing made by the Japanese food company Kewpie, which admittedly I haven’t tasted in ages, so I would need a taste test to be sure.  In the process of research, I found various websites featuring similar recipes for dressings along the same lines – consisting primarily of mayonnaise and ground sesame seeds – but none discussed historical background beyond reference to the Kewpie brand, making me think that the company invented this type of dressing, inspired perhaps by the sesame-based shabu shabu dipping sauce.  When I run out of the current bottle, I’ll try to make a batch from scratch. Until then, I’ll be perfectly satisfied with the mass-produced stuff.

(See also FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See also RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)