Many varieties of salad are found around the world. There are fruit salads, vegetable salads, salads with meat, and salads with everything in between. Salads are popular in Europe and their particular mixture of ingredients will usually depend on where the salad is prepared.

GREECE

A common vegetable salad found in Greek cuisine is one made with tomato wedges, cucumber slices, green bell peppers, red onion, feta cheese (either sliced, cubed or shredded) and kalamata olives. This salad is typically seasoned with salt, black pepper and dried oregano leaves. It is also dressed in olive oil. This variety is simply referred to as 'Greek Salad'. This term is used to loosely describe any salad with a number of these ingredients and dressed with oil. There are versions of it found in the United Kingdom, across North America, as well as in Africa and Australia.

FRANCE

Perigourdine is another vegetable salad variety. This can be found in France, usually in the Southwest regions. It consists of leafy green vegetables, usually lettuce, topped with croutons, gizzards (usually from ducks), walnut pieces and a vinaigrette dressing typically made with walnut oil. The name for this salad comes from the region in which it originated, which is Perigord, France.

GERMANY

Wurstsalat (which literally translates to sausage salad) is a very common salad in Germany. Although it is usually served as an appetizer, the folks in the southern part of the country (as well as in Switzerland and Austria) use it as a snack. Wurstsalat is prepared with vinegar, oil and onions; these are usually cut into rings or diced. The main component of the salad is usually a type of boiled sausage. Wurstsalat is mostly known for its tartness. When the dish is being prepared, the sausage is cut into thin slices and placed (along with the onions) into a vinegar and/or oil marinade. This mixture is then seasoned with salt and pepper. Other ingredients include gherkins, radishes, parsley or chives. Wurstsalat is often served as an appetizer with bread or fried potatoes as a side dish.

FRUIT SALADS

Fruit salads are also common throughout Europe. They all contain basically the same ingredients, just with slight changes for a particular regional twist. Most fruit salads consist of a variety of fruits thrown together, then chilled in a syrup made from the fruit used in the salad. Fruit salads tend to be dessert items. As such, they are often made with whipped cream or even marshmallows.