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Potato salad

Potato salad is a dish made from potatoes, and varies throughout different regions and countries of the world.

With respect to its place among the various individual menu courses served together as one meal, it is better classified as a side dish rather than a salad per se, as it generally accompanies the main course (a salad is usually served as a separate course preceding or following the main course).

Many people will say that they have the "authentic" or the "best" potato salad, and offer the "one true" way to make a perfect potato salad. What is the "best" salad is purely a personal preference—some people like the potatoes creamy and mingled with the dressing, some like them soft and tender, and others prefer them almost crisp.

General versions of potato salad include:

• salad made with baby potatoes, cooked in their jackets and left whole (skin on)
• larger potatoes, cooked in their jackets and then peeled and cut
• salad with mayonnaise/Miracle Whip/sour cream/milk dressing
• salad with vinegar dressing
• salad with bacon, anchovies, or mustard.
• salad with a fresh herb or dill dressing and/or gherkins, capers and other spices.
• salad with raw onions, cooked onions or pickled onions.
• salad with tomatoes or green beans.
• salad with hard-boiled eggs (a combination of potato salad and egg salad)

Different versions of potato salads are served at different temperatures. Southern-German potato salads are often served warm or even hot. Some are served at room temperature. In the U.S. potato salads are commonly served chilled.

Potato salad recipes can be found in many cookbooks, but potato salad connoisseurs and enthusiasts encourage experimentation.

Potato salad is often served with barbecue, roasts, hot dogs, hamburgers and cold sandwiches. It is generally considered casual fare, and as such is typically served at picnics, outdoor barbecues, and other casual meals and events. It is a popular menu choice of cooks preparing food for a large number of people, because it is easily made in large quantities, it can be prepared in advance and refrigerated until needed, and requires only inexpensive ingredients.

Many delicatessens serve potato salad by the pound. Restaurants that feature it on their menus sometimes purchase it ready-made in plastic tubs, rather than make it from scratch. They commonly present it in a small dish, resting on the plate. This presentation is almost exclusive to restaurants, not homes. In a home, it is typically served in a large bowl, either family style (at the table) or on a buffet. Buffet and deli presentations are often embellished by lining the rim of the serving dish with greens such as kale or sprigs of parsley.

German Potato Salad is a popular variation which is generally served warm. It is typicaly more sour and contains pork or bacon.

Wikibooks Cookbook has more about this subject:

Potato Salad