Grey Wins The Day In Salad Test
A fine salad dressing is a true work of art.
At least that’s what The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel decided during a recent taste-test of three Italian dressings.
The clear winner was Grey Poupon’s Italienne vinaigrette, one of a new line of salad dressings, oils, vinegars and cooking wines from the well-known mustard maker.
Not only was it colorful, rich and tangy, it boasted the most sophisticated label - featuring “Chile Peppers & Cabbage,” an 1894 work by Lentulov Aristarkh now hanging in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow (each of the new Grey Poupon products depicts a different work of famous impressionist art).
The sweeter second-place offering, one of the new pourable salad dressings from the Best Foods mayonnaise people, was blander in both taste and tableau, with a label best described as “Tomato & Leaf Lettuce” (which one wag suggested should be hanging in a gallery in Moscow, Idaho).
Bringing up the rear was a thick, odd-tasting, reduced-calorie dressing - termed “salad jelly” by one panelists - from Newman’s Own (whose founder, Paul Newman, leans to label self-portraits).
None of the three mushroom pasta sauces also sampled during the Italian-themed evening was a particular hit, gastronomically or aesthetically.
First place, by default, was a virtual tie between a mushroom Parmesan, one of Prego’s new Parmigiana sauces with cheese already added (begging the question, how far can convenience foods go?) and a fat-free version from Ragu.
Finishing a disappointing third was a pricier but salty-tasting sauce from Barilla, whose products have fared better in previous panel sessions. But it’s probably nothing that some chili peppers and cabbage couldn’t fix.
Grey Poupon Italienne Vinaigrette Dressing with Romano Cheese
Price: $3.43 for 12 ounces.
Nutrition: 80 calories (88 percent fat calories); 300 milligrams sodium in 2 tablespoons.
Taste: ****
Value: ****
Comments: “Great garlic, nice color.” - Larry Kelly
“Good aftertaste, tang - oily, smooth mouth feel - good flavor.” - Jim McGinty
Best Foods Italian Dressing
Price: $1.59 for 8 ounces.
Nutrition: 110 calories (91 percent fat calories); 460 milligrams sodium in 2 tablespoons.
Taste: ***
Value: ***
Comments: “Too sweet at first, but the flavor kind of grows on you.” - Helen Span
“Mild, lacking in flavor, no zest or bite at all. If you like a sweet dressing without much flavor, this is for you.” - Sandy Davidson
Newman’s Own Light Italian Dressing
Price: $1.98 for 8 ounces.
Nutrition: 20 calories (25 percent fat calories); 380 milligrams sodium in 2 tablespoons.
Taste: **
Value: **
Comments: “Thick - clings to salad. Burning aftertaste.” - Bob Bates
“They forgot something, the taste! Yuck!” - Char Kessler
Prego Mushroom Parmesan Spaghetti Sauce
Price: $2.06 for 28 ounces.
Nutrition: 120 calories (25 percent fat calories); 580 milligrams sodium in 1/2 cup.
Taste: ***
Value: ***
Comments: “Good balance on the herbs. Nice tomato flavor without too much tang. Good consistency, instead of a runny juice.” - Madilyn Hutchison
Foco “Smells like tomato soup, not very spicy. Needs more onion, peppers, garlic and mushrooms.” - Bob Bates
Ragu Light Pasta Sauce, Chunky Mushroom
Price: $2.29 for 28-1/2 ounces.
Nutrition: 50 calories (no fat); 390 milligrams sodium in 1/2 cup.
Taste: ***
Value: **
Comments: “Thin, bland, no ‘Italian’ taste. Try another brand, or better, cook your own.” - Jim McGinty
“Has a taste and look of tomato paste. Nice chunks of mushrooms. Not bad for such low fat.” - Susi Faville
Barilla Mushroom & Garlic Pasta Sauce
Price: $2.50 for 26 ounces.
Nutrition: 80 calories (38 percent fat calories); 500 milligrams sodium in 1/2 cup.
Taste: **
Value: **
Comments: “A strange processed taste! Wouldn’t be my first choice. Not enough garlic!” - Sandi Kessler
“This is not good - it tastes acidic, like Italian dressing is mixed in.” - Meagan Coffey
, DataTimes MEMO: Products sampled by The Spokesman-Review’s reader food panel are prepared in a test kitchen according to package directions. Panelists are not aware of a product’s brand name or price until after they have tasted it. Products are rated from one to five stars for taste and for value, based on quality compared to price.