Salad Cream Sir??

Yesss....

It appears I have found another fan of British culinary stalwarts. Previously I have published a blog on Corned Beef and today I have discovered a full page article on 'Salad Cream'. Felicity Cloake has written this smashing piece in today's Daily mail. Allow me to summerise and offer my thoughts on the matter.

First a little back ground.

Salad Cream - Info from Heinz.com

Ingredients
Spirit Vinegar, Water, Vegetable Oil (22%), Sugar, Egg Yolks (2%), Modified Cornflour, Salt, Lemon Juice from Concentrate, Mustard, Black Pepper, Thickeners - Guar Gum and Xanthan Gum, Lemon Extract, Colour - Riboflavin

Instructions
Unscrew cap. Remove foil seal.
Shake before use.

Storage Information
After opening refrigerate and eat within 4 weeks and by Best Before End date.

Varieties
Salad Cream, Light Salad Cream, EXTRA light salad cream, Salad Cream limited edition


On with highlights from the article.

According to Mr George Orwell in 1940 'Britain is the most class-ridden nation under the sun', I can believe that being somewhat of a 'scrubber-snob' myself but what I didn't realise the extent of how accurately your social status can be judged by the contents of your shopping basket. According to anthropologist Kate Fox, prawn cocktail, pasta salad, tinned fruit and salad cream all carry invisible warnings of lower-class associations!! The cheek I love a bit of prawn cocktail, mind you I cant stand the other 3 so maybe she has a point, jesting. It seems Mr Heinz has become savvy to this lower class association and has launched the all new fancy lemon and black pepper version, this new creation has been marketed as the condiment to unify the world, crossing social barriers and uniting us all in a Salad Cream loving heaven. Or it could just raise sales a little.

Salad Cream was actually the first product developed by Heinz specifically for the UK market taking 8 years to perfect and finally appearing in our shops in 1914. It quickly became the stalwart accompaniment for the British garden salad but it wasn't until World War II that it really came into its own. With Tomato ketchup off the menu the trusty salad cream was there to lend an edge to the dull snap that was available.

Apparently our nation consumes 14,200 tonnes of salad cream every year, with East Anglians being the biggest fans. Also worth noting that is has now gone global and is available in the US and boomerang country. The current lust for salad cream has not always been apparent as the country turns to continental alternatives, vinaigrette and mayonnaise, Heinz considered scrapping its salad cream. This news was met with widespread hysteria, riots and mass destruction of the aforementioned sauces and Heinz thankfully re considered there decision and kept the production line going. Phew.

So there we go, despite being described by cookery writers as 'one of the major culinary disasters of this country', being constantly under threat from continental alternatives the uniquely British Salad Cream is here to stay. You never know the posh folk might even take to it. Personally id take Mayonnaise every time.

Keep smiling.

Mr Rice

...ML...