The 13 Most Popular Salad Dressings Around The World

Thanks to popular culture, salads are cool again. From the Jennifer Aniston salad to those made in Mason jars, diners are embracing the humble salad like never before. We all know they are more than just a boring pile of greens, but what makes them really come together is the salad dressing. 

Supermarket shelves are filled with bottles of dressing ranging from creamy to tangy to oily to chunky. While there are many choices, some dressings are more popular than others. While this healthy meal of greens and veggies is enjoyed around the globe, did you ever wonder what the most popular salad dressings are in different counties? We are taking a look at some of the popular salad dressings you'll find and the countries that can't get enough of them. Whether tossed in a simple salad or used as a dipping sauce, it's no secret the world loves salad dressings.

In Mexico, avocado is king, and before the days of expensive avocado toast, the country's citizens were the main consumers of it. The fruit had been a staple in the diet of diners south of the border since the time of the Aztecs, who mashed it with dried chilies and local herbs to create basic guacamole. Nowadays, avocados are the base for avocado cilantro lime dressing, which also includes cilantro and fresh lime juice. 

Avocados are full of healthy fats that satisfy the tastebuds and give a rich mouthfeel, making this dressing a favorite in the region. You can find it everywhere, from restaurants to home kitchens to street food vendors. The avocado cilantro lime dressing is typically contained in plastic squeeze bottles making it easy to drizzle on spicy tacos, crunchy chalupas, and deep-fried empanadas. 

If you have ever made homemade hummus, then you are already familiar with tahini, a Middle Eastern pantry staple. Tahini is made from mashed sesame seeds and is used as a spread on flatbreads, a dip for falafel, and as a salad dressing. 

Tahini, on its own, is thick and has a mild nutty flavor, but as salad dressing it is part of an ensemble of flavors. Some tahini dressings are made with a mix of miso, which packs umami richness. Other tahini dressings turn away from savory and lean toward the sweeter side instead with a maple syrup and lemon juice mix to sweeten the dressing and give it a bright flavor. 

But tahini adds more than just flavor; it adds a rich texture without excessive fat. Many home cooks are turning to tahini as a replacement for dairy since it's dairy-free and rich in vitamins and antioxidants (via Healthline).

While tahini may be somewhat new to diners in the U.S., it has a long history throughout the Middle East. It was first mentioned as a condiment in 13th-century cookbooks. Since this creamy condiment works in savory and sweet dishes, it's easy to see why it's been a staple in the culinary world for so long.

Oil and vinegar dressing is made from a simple ratio of three parts oil to one part vinegar with a generous pinch of salt. This simple dressing is a popular way to dress a salad in Italy. 

The dressing starts with extra virgin olive oil, as it's the ideal choice for its light texture and flavor. The choice of vinegar depends on taste and region. Many regions use mild white wine vinegar, while others opt for tangier red wine vinegar. In the North, where balsamic vinegar is produced, it's the popular choice for a salad.

In Italy, green salads are served dressed by the chef or home cook, and the oil, vinegar, and salt are added directly to the salad bowl. And while a three-ingredient dressing seems simple enough, the order that each is added is a debatable step in the process. Some home chefs argue that the right way to dress a salad is by adding the salt first, then the vinegar and oil, while others claim the oil should be the first thing added, followed by the vinegar and salt.

Japanese Wafu dressing is popular throughout the country as a dressing, sauce, and marinade. Wafu translates to "Japanese style," and in this case, it refers to the type of dressing, which has a base of Japanese fermented vinegar, soy sauce, mirin, and vegetable oil.  

The basic wafu dressing was introduced in the late 1970s, and later as it grew in popularity, more versions were made with variations that included toasted sesame seeds, herbs, aromatics, seaweed, and dried fish flakes. Some versions of wafu mix the base with pureed vegetables like onion, garlic, ginger, or peppers, making it thicker than a vinaigrette and perfect as a marinade for chicken, tofu, or seafood.

You may need to take a trip to your local international market to find wafu, as regular supermarkets may not carry it. Wafu is also excellent on a cold noodle salad, Japanese potato salad, or a dipping sauce for tempura.

While we know that blue cheese originally came from the Roquefort region of France in the 7th century, the dressing is a more recent invention. Blue cheese dressing was mentioned in 1918 in Fannie Farmer's cookbook, and later, in 1928, the dressing made an appearance in the "Edgewater Hotel Salad Book," but under the original name of Roquefort dressing. Later, the name changed to blue cheese dressing because it was being made with other less expensive forms of blue cheese.

In Ireland in the 1980s, Irish cheesemakers began making their own Irish versions of blue cheese. With local blue cheeses becoming more widely available in the country, homemade versions of the dressing followed and became popular. 

Creamy blue cheese salad dressing, with its thick texture and tangy taste, is made with a mix of buttermilk, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, vinegar, and blue cheese. While it's called blue cheese dressing, it would be equally correct to call it blue cheese dip, as it's mostly used as a dip in Ireland. Pubs across the country serve blue cheese as a dipping sauce with fried foods and burgers and the pungent flavor pairs perfectly with a strong Irish Stout.

Chermoula is a household name in Morocco and other parts of North Africa. This mix of herbs and spices is more than just a salad dressing; it's a marinade, sauce, and dip too. The base includes coriander, garlic, and cumin; from there, the herbs and spices vary depending on the region but may include paprika, saffron, turmeric, cardamom, chilies, dill, and parsley. The seasonings are ground or blended into an aromatic paste, mixed with olive oil, and fresh lemon juice supplies the acidic binder to hold the flavors together. The flavorful paste is added to fish and seafood, poured on roasted vegetables, and used as a dipping sauce and dressing. 

While it is difficult to know the exact history of the aromatic sauce, credit is given to the early indigenous people of North Africa, the Berbers. They were a nomadic tribe that was exposed to many spices and seasonings in their travels. In her book, The Food of Morocco, author Paula Wolfert explains that chermoula is not bound to any rigid recipe, and it depends not only on the regional spices but the chef's personalized additions too.