Review: Jo's Japanese Dressing, Ginger Flavor

I found our decision to just have a salad for dinner a bit daunting...and we knew that choosing the right dressing was going to make all the difference. But a creamy, calorie- and fat-packed dressing was going to defeat the purpose of the entire thing. Then again...we were eating *salad*. Though I have learned to appreciate the subtle and unique flavors of various raw vegetables, I mean COME ON! I was dying for some flavor, here.

Luckily, our local "one-stop mart" carried a range of natural, smaller brand dressings, and we decided to go with Jo's Japanese Dressing in the ginger flavor. This dressing kept the fat, sugar, and sodium content down, while still delivering a creamy and delicious ginger taste. I will totally use this dressing again, and am interested in its uses with other dishes like pasta and sandwiches.

The listed ingredients are: ginger, carrots, onion, rice vinegar, white vinegar, soybean oil, soy sauce (soybean, wheat, sea salt), sea salts, organic sugar, and Xanthan gum.

Now, there is some debate on the merits of Xanthan gum, a food thickener made by the fermentation of vegetables. Some claim to be allergic to it, while others tout its benefit as a food substitute for gluten-free cooking. Xanthan gum is a common additive to salad dressings, but I'm just pointing it out here in case you think you might have issues with it.

I'm not a heavy salad dressing user. If salad comes as a side, I will either use a little balsamic vinegar or nothing at all. But as a main dish, some sort of flavoring is a must, and Jo's Japanese Dressing is a good solution for a person like me who normally rejects other dressings for being too fatty and high in sugar.