How do I make that ginger salad dressing that is served in Japanese restaurants?
First of all, that ginger-salad dressing that vaguely resembles…well, let’s not go there, but it doesn’t look too appetizing does it? Despite its widespread use in many American Japanese restaurants, it is definitely not Japanese. I have not researched this in depth so I may be totally wrong, but I suspect that it was invented at Benihana. I hate the stuff, so I never touch it (if a side salad comes covered in it I leave the salad alone) so I can’t really tell you how to make it. That’s not to say that Japanese people do not put dressing on their salads. Actually, Japanese dressing manufacturers have perfected the art of the low or non-oil salad dressing. Usually it’s a tasty mixture of various herbs and spices such as shiso, ginger, sesame seeds, umeboshi (pickled plums), and such in a water base. Give them a try if you encounter them at an Asian or Japanese grocers. I’ll try to post some homemade Japanese style non/low oil dressings soon. Q. Are there any good online sources of Jap
