RH Staff

To say they've got staying power hardly covers it: Sauces and dressings enjoy a certain timelessness. The Mother Sauces of 18th century France are still with us, and, according to the Association for Dressings and Sauces, soy sauce has been used in China for 5,000 years. The Babylonians were drizzling oil and vinegar on their greens 2,000 years ago, and the inspiration for that dash of Worcestershire sauce we still prize dates back to the time of Caesar. Archaeologists discovered a 130-year-old bottle of TabascoÆ brand pepper sauce in 2000 at an excavation in Nevada's Virginia City, and some folks have been enhancing their food with a dollop of mayonnaise for more than 200 years. The following dressings and sauces, however, are more recent ideas for adding flavor to your menu.