Asian-style Salad Dressing

Test Date: August 2010

Tester: Michele and husband Marc

Products for this test purchased at Fred Meyer, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods.

MICHELE'S OPINION: These products varied widely in terms of flavor and consistency. If you like a ginger flavor, Rikki's is for you, while if you prefer a sesame taste go for the Cardini's, Newman's Own, or Trader Ming's. I would just stay away from the Wish-Bone, Whole Foods, and Annie's Light Gingerly options. Read on for more details...

PRICE COMPARISON FOR 8OZ OF DRESSING (store first, then brand):
$3.99 Whole Foods Annie's Natural Organic Sesame Ginger
$3.79 Fred Meyer Annie's Natural Lite Gingerly Vinaigrette
$3.33 Whole Foods Rikki's Gourmet Dressing and Sauce
$2.99 Whole Foods brand Organic Ginger Soy
$2.79 Fred Meyer Cardini's
$1.99 Whole Foods 365 Ginger Miso
$1.99 Trader Ming's Sesame Soy
$1.57 Fred Meyer Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger
$1.29 Fred Meyer Wish-Bone Light Asian

1. All Natural Cardini's Roasted Asian Sesame Dressing:  This product has lots of sesame taste and a medium sweetness. The consistency is very smooth and full bodied.

2. Whole Foods Organic Ginger Soy Vinaigrette:  This product is not sweet at all and has a strong ginger flavor. It also has a miso taste to it.

3. 365 Organic Ginger Miso Homestyle Dressing:  This product has chunks of orange peel, the only product that was chunky. It is also a very thick dressing with a slightly grainy consistency. As for taste, it is not as flavorful as the others.

4. Annie's Naturals Lite Gingerly Vinaigrette:  This product has a creamy consistency and lots of vinegar in it. It has a mild ginger flavor with a hint of plastic. There is also a lightly sweet honey taste. In general it is not very Asian tasting at all.

5. Annies Naturals Organic Sesame Ginger:  This has lots of toasted sesame flavor. It has a light, relatively thin consistency and is more oily than the other Annie's product.

6. Rikki's Gourmet Dressing and Sauce, Soy Ginger:  This product has a rich flavor of miso, ginger, and soy. It tastes like the dressing you get on lettuce with your terriyaki rice bowl. Great ginger flavor. Very thick. Delicious.

7. Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger:  This product has a strong vinegar flavor with sesame oil and ginger. It is not too sweet and has a light, relatively thin consistency.

8. Trader Ming's Sesame Soy Ginger Vinaigrette:  This is also strong on the vinegar, with a light sesame and ginger flavor and a thick consistency.

9. Wish-Bone Light Asian with Sesame & Ginger Vinaigrette: This product has a thin, oily consistency and doesn't have an Asian taste. We found out that is because it is made with extra virgin olive oil! Not good.

NUTRITIONAL NOTES: (serving size 2 tablespoons) These products vary widely in terms of calorie and fat content. The products with the highest number of calories, ranging from 90 to 120 per serving, include Cardini's, Rikki's, 365 Organic Ginger Miso, and Annie's Organic Sesame Ginger. The lightest in calories (35-40 per serving) include Trader Ming's, Newman's Own, and Annie's Lite Gingerly. Fat content mirrors that spectrum, with the higher caloric product having 8g to 10g of fat per serving, while the light products contain 0g to 3grams per serving. Salt is the wild card here, with the light Newman's Own light product carrying a whopping 390mg per serving, and the Trader Ming's product on the low end at 230mg per serving.

TASTE WINNER: Rikki's, with Cardini's, Newman's Own, and Trader Ming's as runners up