A common belief is that Julius Caesar invented Caesar salad or, the salad was somehow named after him. I mean, just look at the name; Caesar salad must somehow be related to the famous Roman emperor, right?
Well, it actually isn’t. Caesar salad had nothing to do with Julius Caesar – it was named after a famed restaurateur called Caesar Cardini.
Here’s the story. (the article continues after the ad)
Caesar Cardini invented Caesar salad in 1924 in Tijuana, Mexico. According to the legend, an unexpected group of diners rushed into one of his restaurants on July 4th. Because the restaurant was running short on the kitchen’s resources, Cardini had to make something with the ingredients he had on hand.
His original recipe called for boiled eggs, romaine lettuce, garlic, parmesan cheese, croutons, Worcestershire sauce and olive oil. He didn’t add any anchovies in the mixture, as he strongly claimed that Worcestershire sauce can adequately provide that fishy flavor on its own.
The salad was so tasty, Cardini decided to add it to the menu. It was a huge success and soon people started referring it as the “Caesar salad”, as that kind of salad could only be found at “Caesar’s restaurant”. The name stuck and the rest is history.
Several other people have claimed to be the inventors of Caesar salad (including Caesar’s brother, Alex Cardini) but none of their stories seems credible enough to be true.
And now you know!
If you like what you read, then you will definitely love this one: Why Is It Called ‘Indian Summer’?
Photo: Wikimedia, Wikimedia
Photoshop: I’m A Useless Info Junkie
Sources: The History of Caesar Salad | Origins of Caesar Salad
