# The "Japanese" salad dressing they always use in the U.S. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 14, 2015, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228 "2015-09-14T18:16:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/1 "2015-09-14T18:16:45Z")
At least around here (east coast U.S.), whenever you go out for Japanese food and a salad comes with it, it’s generic lettuce with what tastes like Thousand Island dressing. I can’t believe that’s what they really eat in Japan. What is this dressing, and do they eat it in Japan? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/2 "2015-09-14T18:27:38Z")
I believe it’s usually a carrot-ginger dressing. There appear to be tons of recipes online for it. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/3 "2015-09-14T18:30:43Z")
Since this is about food, let’s move it to Cafe Society. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/4 "2015-09-14T18:31:45Z")
Yeah, just google “japanese ginger salad dressing” and you’ll get plenty of hits. No idea as to its authenticity. It strikes me as “authentically Japanse-American.” ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/5 "2015-09-14T19:10:16Z")
It doesn’t taste like ginger to me. It’s orange so I guess that could be carrot. ---
**Author:** ![No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_umlaut_for_U)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/6 "2015-09-14T19:12:09Z")
Strange. We get a ginger-soy sort of dressing, which might have a touch of ponzu to it. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/7 "2015-09-14T19:28:57Z")
Miso dressing? [https://www.google.com/search?q=miso+salad+dressing&num=20&newwindow=1&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAgQ\_AUoAmoVChMI6Juq\_aD3xwIVQQaSCh0krA1L&biw=863&bih=398](https://www.google.com/search?q=miso+salad+dressing&num=20&newwindow=1&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAmoVChMI6Juq_aD3xwIVQQaSCh0krA1L&biw=863&bih=398) ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/8 "2015-09-14T19:46:48Z")
I’ve had some amazing ginger-carrot dressing and some that’s truly awful. The good stuff is only sweetened by the carrots and isn’t completely loaded with carrots; it’s got some umami/salty bits; and it’s very brightly gingered. Dark sesame oil might be showing up, I dunno. ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/9 "2015-09-14T22:07:21Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I’ve had some amazing ginger-carrot dressing and some that’s truly awful. The good stuff is only sweetened by the carrots and isn’t completely loaded with carrots; it’s got some umami/salty bits; and it’s very brightly gingered. Dark sesame oil might be showing up, I dunno. That sounds very nice. I always get what other people in this thread got – a gingery, carroty thousand-island-consistency “sauce” on some iceberg lettuce. Surely something moderately interesting, slightly ethnically inspired, isn’t beyond the imagination of the chefs. I know I’ve gone to a sushi restaurant for sushi, but if I’m having a salad as well, at least they can give me something I can enjoy while I’m getting a tiny burst of fiber. Dang. I want sushi now. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/10 "2015-09-14T22:33:04Z")
I think it tastes faintly like Doritos. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/11 "2015-09-14T22:45:23Z")
It’s like that “surimi” fake-crabmeat stuff. Just eat it; you’re better off not inquiring further. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/12 "2015-09-15T00:32:31Z")
huh? I live in the Detroit area, and we have tons of Japanese restaurants. Mostly thanks to Nissan and Toyota having engineering centers here, and a bunch of Japanese auto suppliers having offices too. I’ve encountered the aforementioned “carrot/ginger” dressing, as well as a peanut-based salad dressing, but never anything I’d equate to Thousand Island. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/13 "2015-09-15T00:49:28Z")
The miso dressing I linked to kind of does look like thousand island, well without the relish “islands”. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/14 "2015-09-15T00:51:58Z")
Ginger dressing, you can buy bottles of it in any grocery store. IDK what kind of Japanese restaurant would have a 1000 Island style dressing, are you sure you’re not at Old Country Buffet by mistake? ---
**Author:** ![Saturn\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Saturn\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saturn_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/15 "2015-09-15T00:58:10Z")
I’ve had my fair share of “Japanese” cuisine in the USA and I don’t recall ever being served an orange-coloured ginger dressing. I can definitely say they don’t serve anything like that on salads here in Japan. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/16 "2015-09-15T01:11:22Z")
There’s an amazing seafood store nearby that has the most wonderful marinated shrimp skewers. I asked them once what the marinade was, and it was simply a particular Japanese salad dressing that they had on the shelf. Sadly, the dressing isn’t available any more but I found a decent replacement that’s made with miso, soy sauce, ginger, sesame seeds, garlic, and various spices (no carrots, though) and is my official household secret ingredient for marinating skewered shrimp before grilling on the barbie, or with a bit of teriyaki sauce for marinating king oyster or cremini mushrooms before grilling. It’s stuff that I always have on hand for just that reason. It’s even good in salads, but might be a bit pungent for some tastes. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/17 "2015-09-15T01:14:51Z")
Ginger dressing is one thing. The OP’s sauce is something else, best known as “yum yum.” [Here is a recipe.](http://gluesticksblog.com/2015/05/homemade-yum-yum-sauce.html) [Here it is commercially bottled.](http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=751086&storeId=10052&langId=-1) It _is_ something akin to cheap Thousand Island. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/18 "2015-09-15T01:34:34Z")
That’s about as authentically Japanese as Pat Morita was a karate expert. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/19 "2015-09-15T02:15:30Z")
It’s my recollection from when I was living in Japan that the most common salad dressing was made from sesame. I don’t think carrots or ginger were involved, at least not in quantities noticeable by me. This was about 10 years ago though, so this may be outdated info. ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228/20 "2015-09-15T02:20:29Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > Ginger dressing is one thing. The OP’s sauce is something else, best known as “yum yum.” [Here is a recipe.](http://gluesticksblog.com/2015/05/homemade-yum-yum-sauce.html) [Here it is commercially bottled.](http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=751086&storeId=10052&langId=-1) It _is_ something akin to cheap Thousand Island. I’ve never been to a Japanese steakhouse that serves yum yum sauce on the salad! The OP’s dressing is the carrot ginger dressing that has already been mentioned. Yum yum sauce is the white sauce that they serve with the rest of the entree–sometimes they call it shrimp sauce, but invariably someone at the table will dump the entire dish over their fried rice. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-japanese-salad-dressing-they-always-use-in-the-u-s/731228.md?page=2)