According to The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink, the dressing's name comes from the Thousand Islands region, along the upper St. Lawrence River between the United States and Canada.[6] Within that region, one common version of the dressing's origin says that a fishing guide's wife, Sophia LaLonde, made the condiment as part of her husband George's shore dinner.[7] Often in this version, actress May Irwin requested the recipe after enjoying it.[8] Irwin, in turn, gave it to another. In another version of the story, Thousand Islands summer resident George Boldt, who built Boldt Castle between 1900 and 1904 and was proprietor of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, instructed the hotel's maître d'hôtel, Oscar Tschirky, to put the dressing on the menu in 1894 after he forgot dressing on salads and improvised with ingredients on hand at the time.[7][9] According to a 1959 National Geographic article, "Thousand Island Dressing was reportedly developed by Boldt's chef."[10] Despite claims that he was involved in the introduction of the salad dressing at the Waldorf, Tschirky did not mention it in his cookbook published during that period.[11]
When University of Wisconsin sociologist Michael Bell and his graduate students attempted to determine the origin of Thousand Island dressing in 2010, they found that the story differed among villages and islands in the Thousand Islands region.[7] They discovered the existence of a third origin story in which the original recipe was based upon French dressing, which is supported by a recipe published in the 11th edition of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook (1965).[7] All the claims appeared to be based upon oral traditions without supporting written records.[7][12][13]
According to Food & Wine magazine, the dressing was a traditional sauce from the late 19th century in the Thousand Islands region. The wealthy who visited the region carried bottles of the local sauce back to New York City, such as one variant found in Clayton, New York, called Sophia's Sauce, found at the local Herald Hotel run by innkeeper Sophia Lelonde.[14]
Some food writers claim that chef Theo Rooms of the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago invented the dressing during the same period.[12][15][16] Food historians at The Food Timeline point out that the earliest print reference to Thousand Island dressing was in 1912,[17] and that recipes for different versions of the dressing begin to appear afterward throughout the U.S.[18]
Thousand Island dressing is widely used in fast-food restaurants and diners in the United States, where it is often called "special sauce" or "secret sauce". An example of this is In-N-Out Burger's "spread", served on burgers and several "secret menu" items; despite its name, it is a variation of Thousand Island dressing.[19] Thousand Island dressing is often used in Reuben sandwiches in lieu of Russian dressing.[20]McDonald's Big Mac sauce is a variation on Thousand Island dressing.[14]
Similar preparations
Rhode Island dressing (Rhode islandsås), introduced by the Swedish restaurateur Tore Wretman,[21][22] is similar to Thousand Island and very popular in Sweden. Its name is confusing, especially for foreigners, and its origin unclear, since the dressing has no relationship to Rhode Island and the name is not used for preparations outside Sweden.
In Germany, a similar salad dressing is called "American dressing".[23][24]
^Grimes, Etta (May 1915). "Home Economics: Some choice recipes". The Oregon Countryman. p. 325. OCLC42327071.
^Woodland, Mrs. F.B. (1919). Hurlbut, Mrs. William D. (ed.). Stevenson Memorial Cook Book. Chicago: Sarah Hackett Stevenson Memorial Lodging House Association. p. 75. OCLC679915543. (Note: 3 different recipes are offered in this book)
^Brown, Andrew H. (March 1959). "New St. Lawrence Seaway opens the Great Lakes to the world". National Geographic Magazine. Vol. 115, no. 3. p. 336. Today, this dressing is still being served at Oscar's in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel
^"Thousand Island Dressing". Coast Beacon (Pass Christian, Mississippi). December 28, 1912. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com. Take one cup mayonnaise dressing, mix with one-half cup whipped cream, add small amount of tarragon vinegar, one-half teaspoonful of Imperial sauce, then chop one hard boiled egg, one green pepper, one pimento, one pinch chives, mix well together and squeeze the juice of one lemon before serving.
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