Russian Dressing Isn't Actually From Russia. So Where Did It Originate? - Tasting Table

"Hawaiian pizza? Ontario, Canada was its birthplace. These are just two of many foods named after places that they didn't actually originate from. Another is Russian dressing. Occasionally used on salads, Russian dressing is best known for what it brings to classic grilled Reuben sandwiches. This lightly spicy, creamy vinaigrette was most likely to have been originally dreamed up by a regular Joe or ... er, James, a New England grocer by the name of James E. Colburn of Nashua, New Hampshire."

"Some say that he named it this as it was created to top a Russian Olivier Salad. Others suggest that Colburn put caviar (an expensive ingredient exclusively associated with Russia at the time) in the original ingredients. Another theory is that the Russian moniker came simply because of the inclusion of pickles - a Russian favorite. And a few point to the French "Sauce Russe," too, as the stem of the name, as it's similar in color and texture and also contained caviar."

"Theories also go further back to possible origins linking it to caviar-laden recipes in Russia, or those that meander into the gastronomic history of French mayonnaise-based sauces. The truth is that Russian dressing as we know it today (minced onion, mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, dill pickle relish, Worcestershire sauce, sweet paprika, and salt) has very little in common with those musings. As is often the case with food history, go back far enough, and it's as muddled as this mayo and ketchup-based dressing itself."

Food names often mislead about origins, with examples like German chocolate cake and Hawaiian pizza. Russian dressing is associated with Reuben sandwiches and most likely originated in Nashua, New Hampshire, created by grocer James E. Colburn. Colburn began in the meat industry, opened a grocery in 1906, later ran a catering business, and between 1906 and 1914 created mayonnaise and Colburn's Russian Salad Dressing. Naming theories include its use on Olivier salad, inclusion of caviar, pickle association, or resemblance to French Sauce Russe. The modern Russian dressing blends minced onion, mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, dill pickle relish, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and salt.

Read at Tasting Table