Potato salad
Potatoes (a new world food) were introduced to Europe by Spanish explorers in the 16th century. By the end of the century many countries had adopted this new vegetable and integrated it into their cuisines. Preparation methods and recipes were developed according to local culinary traditions. About potato history.
Arnold Shircliffe, primary chef of Chicago's legendary Edgewater Beach Hotel, traced the origin of the potato salad to the 16th century. These are his notes:
"Early potato salad: John Gerrard in 1597 writes about potatoes and their virtues and said that "they are sometimes boiled and sopped in wine, by others boiled with prunes, and likewise others dress them (after roasting them in the ashes) in oil, vinegar and salt, every man according to his own taste. However they be dressed, they comfort, nourish and strengthen the body." This is one of the first potato salads mentioned in any book."
---Edgewater Beach Hotel Salad Book, Arnold Shircliffe [Hotel Monthly Press:Evanston IL] 1928 (p. 231)
Potato salad-type recipes were introduced to America by European settlers, who again adapted traditional foods to local ingredients. This accounts for regional potato salad variations in the United States. Potato salad, as we know it today, became popular in the second half of the 19th century. Cold potato salads evolved from British and French recipes. Warm potato salads followed the German preference for hot vinegar and bacon dressings served over vegetables.
Print evidence confirms recipes for potato salads were often included in 19th century American cooking texts. These recipes had many different names. The Cassells Dictionary of Cookery [London:1875?] contains three recipes for potato salad, one without notes [presumably British or American], a French recipe and a German recipe.The French recipe is very similar to the first and is also served cold. The German recipe required bacon. Early cold potato salad recipes often called for "French dressing" (Our notes on French dressing here ). Some recipes specifically indicate this is an economy dish, "a good way to dispose of leftover potatoes." During the 1940s mayonnaise began to supplant French dressing as the congealer of choice. It is interesting to note that during both World Wars recipes for German-style potato salad did not bear that country's moniker. They were simply listed as "hot potato salad."
This is what the food writers have to say:
"Potato salad. A cold or hot side dish made with potatoes, mayonnaise, and seasonings. It became very popular in the second half of the nineteenth century and is a staple of both home and food-store kitchens. Hot potato salad, usually made with bacon, onion, and vinegar dressing, was associated with German immigrants and therefore often called "German potato salad."
---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 253)
"There seems to be no dogma concerning the origins of potato salad, but Germany is a good place to begin. As a country with lots of potatoes and lots of recipes for potatoes, Germany almost certainly was among the first to look at cooked small new potatoes or cut chunks of larger spuds and imagine them blanketed with dressing. The dressing they came up with was a classic. Kin to the heated dressing used to wilt spinach salad, this one thrilled German taste buds, raised as they were on sauerkraut and sauerbraten with vinegar bite. Some versions featured a little coarse mustard, others cut the sour with a little sugar, and most added bacon and even its flavorful drippings. By the time the notion of potato salad reached France, vinegar wasn't quite good enough. The French demanded full-scale vinaigrette, and it was no sweat to satisfy their demands. Whenever you see something called "French potato salad," it's a safe bet you're in for potatoes (and probably other vegetables, too) in a light vinaigrette, with Dijon mustard and sweet tarragon.
When potato salad caught on in the United States, in the second half of the 19th century, it was probably by way of German immigrants. To this day, most people who know how to cook, or at least know how to eat, understand that "German potato salad" will be served warm, will feature no mayonnaise, and will be pleasantly tart with vinegar.The American idea of making potato salad with mayonnaise has no recorded history - but then again, neither does the idea of mayonnaise itself. Clearly a sauce created in France using egg yolks, oil and either lemon juice or vinegar, little is clear after that. Virtually every French bible of cuisine explains the name differently, ranging from a link to "Magon," the Carthaginian general who helped his brother Hannibal battle the Romans," to a possible misspelling of "Bayonnaise," hailing from the town of Bayonne in France - and later, less romantically, New Jersey.
However it got the name, mayonnaise became the favored dressing for American potato salad for more "There seems to be no dogma concerning the origins of potato salad, but Germany is a good place to begin. As a country with lots of potatoes and lots of recipes for potatoes, Germany almost certainly was among the first to look at cooked small new potatoes or cut chunks of larger spuds and imagine them blanketed with dressing. The dressing they came up with was a classic. Kin to the heated dressing used to wilt spinach salad, this one thrilled German taste buds, raised as they were on sauerkraut and sauerbraten with vinegar bite. Some versions featured a little coarse mustard, others cut the sour with a little sugar, and most added bacon and even its flavorful drippings. By the time the notion of potato salad reached France, vinegar wasn't quite good enough. The French demanded full-scale vinaigrette, and it was no sweat to satisfy their demands. Whenever you see something called "French potato salad," it's a safe bet you're in for potatoes (and probably other vegetables, too) in a light vinaigrette, with Dijon mustard and sweet tarragon.
When potato salad caught on in the United States, in the second half of the 19th century, it was probably by way of German immigrants. To this day, most people who know how to cook, or at least know how to eat, understand that "German potato salad" will be served warm, will feature no mayonnaise, and will be pleasantly tart with vinegar.The American idea of making potato salad with mayonnaise has no recorded history - but then again, neither does the idea of mayonnaise itself. Clearly a sauce created in France using egg yolks, oil and either lemon juice or vinegar, little is clear after that. Virtually every French bible of cuisine explains the name differently, ranging from a link to "Magon," the Carthaginian general who helped his brother Hannibal battle the Romans," to a possible misspelling of "Bayonnaise," hailing from the town of Bayonne in France - and later, less romantically, New Jersey. However it got the name, mayonnaise became the favored dressing for American potato salad for more than a century. Its sweet, creamy mouthfeel served up just the right delight when wrapped around solid, dependable American potatoes."
---"A world of potato salads; Labor Day tradition gets global makeover," John DeMers, The Houston Chronicle, August 29, 2001 (Food: p. 1)
"Despite its popularity in this country, potato salad is not an all-American creation. Potato salad is said to be of Teutonic origin, prepared when boiled potatoes were tossed with oil, vinegar and seasonings, a dish known now as German potato salad. The French, Norwegians, Swedes, Russians and Italians all have their own versions. Germans make a marvelous warm potato salad to which they add tiny bits of fresh tomato and red and green bell peppers, then toss the whole concoction with a warm bacon and onion dressing. The Greeks also prefer warm potato salad, with garlic, olive oil and lemon. Italian potato salad is apt to have ample amounts of fresh parsley, often chunks of salami and is dressed with an olive oil and vinegar dressing. American potato salad is heavier and heartier than European versions. Some people like lots of additions such as onion, sweet pickles, celery, hard-cooked eggs, pimento, chives, olives and parsley."
---"Potato salad revisited," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 28, 1989 (Food p. 1)
Sample recipes:
[1633] Potato
---Herball or General Historie of Plants, John Gerard [London]
[1863] "The same [potatoes], in salad
Cook them [potatoes] without water in an oven, or hot cinders, if handy; then peel and cut them in thin slices; place them in a salad dish, season with chopped parsley, sweet oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, and serve. You may used butter instead of pil if you serve warm; you may also add slices of beets, and of pickled cucumbers, according to taste."
---What to Eat and How to Cook It, Pierre Blot [Appleton and Company:New York] (p. 194)
[1878]
"Potato Salad.
When materials for a salad are scarce, this is a good way of disposing of cold potatoes. Slice them, and dress them with oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, precisely like any other salad; adding a littel chives, or an onion, and parsley chopped fine. If oil is not agreeable, sue cream or a little melted butter."
---Jennie June's American Cookery Book, Mrs. J. S. Croly [Excelcior Publishing:New York] 1878 (p. 122)
[1884] " Potato salad (cold)
French & boiled dressings
---Boston Cooking School Cook Book, Mrs. D.A. Lincoln [page through site for complete recipes]
[1908] "Potato salad
The best potato salad is made from waxy yellow potatoes, cooked with their jackets on, the peeled, cut up while still warm and dressed before they become cold. Put the potatoes into a salad bowl, then pour over them a little hot water, or, better still, a little hot broth from the soup kettle. Season it at once with salt, pepper, and for every teaspoonful vinegar use four spoonfuls olive oil. Add as you like chopped onion, parsley, chives or celery, toss without breaking the potatoes, then set in the ice box to chill. When ready to serve put into individual lettuce leaves or a salad bowl lined with lettuce, and on top put a spoonful of boiled dressing as a garnish."
---New York Evening Telegram Cook Book, Emma Paddock Telford (p. 98)
[NOTE: This book does not contain a recipe for titled "boiled dressing." It includes a recipe for cooked salad dressing which is boiled (p. 93). Indgredients are: egg yolks, dry mustard, salt, butter, hot vinegar, and cream. This dressing is to be stored in a cool place. No suggestions regarding serving temperature. A separate recipe for mayonnaise appears on page 94.
[1946] "Potato Salad with Mayonnaise
Boil in their jackets in a covered saucepan until they are tender:
Potatoes
Chill them for several hours, peel and slice them. Marinate them well with:
French dressing
Soup stock or canned boullion.
Chop or slice and add:
Hard-cooked eggs
Onions
Olives
Pickles
Celery
Cucumbers
Capers
Season the salad well with:
Salt
Paprika
A few grains of cayenne
Horseradish (optional)
After 1 hour or more add:
Mayonnaise dressing, boiled salad dressing or sour cream or cream."
---The Joy of Cooking, Irma S. Rombauer [Bobbs Merrill:Indianapolis] 1946 (p. 407)
New York style (aka deli style) potato salad
The general concensus of online recipes is that New York Style potato salad is served cold and has a mayo/vinegar dressing. Culinary evidence suggests this recipe has British or French roots. The Brooklyn Cookbook, Lyn Stallworth and Rod Kennedy, Jr. [Knopf:New York] 1994 notes Kosher deli potato salad never contains milk (p. 175). A recipe for Deli potato salad is also found on this page.
Recommended reading: The Potato: How the Humble Spud Rescued the Western World, Larry Zukerman [North Point Press:New York] 1998
