Anyone who has ever had a traditional Italian meal or been to an Italian restaurant knows this delicious salad mix. Comprised of romaine lettuce and croutons with a delicious blend of parmesan cheese, egg, garlic, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice, it’s heaven in a bowl. That’s why Caesar Salad Day came to pass, to celebrate this delicious blend of foliage and seasonings.
History Of Caesar Salad Day
The first thing to know about Caesar Salad, it wasn’t named for the ill-fated leader of Rome, at least not directly. No, the salad is instead credited to Caesar Cardini, an Italian Immigrant who got into the restaurant business in the US and Mexico.
Like most of the great culinary inventions, it wasn’t the result of a deliberate design, instead, it came about in a moment of desperation. In 1924 there was a bit of a rush on Cardini’s restaurant, and he quickly got to work to keep the customers happy. The result? This delicious combination of ingredients delivered with a little ‘chef’s flair’ as he tossed it at the table.
Like most food, it has undergone multiple permutations throughout its existence. Originally there were no anchovies in the salad, and that’s still commonplace today. In your fancier restaurants, however, you’ll occasionally find bits of actual anchovy in with the salad, as a compliment to the natural anchovy flavor the comes from the Worcestershire sauce.
Cardini would not be pleased, he was decidedly opposed to using anchovy directly in his salad. Of course, that’s not all that’s been added, Steak Caesar Salad, Chicken Caesar Salad, even shrimp Caesar Salad have all graced the menus of various restaurants throughout the world.
How to celebrate Caesar Salad Day
Ready to celebrate Caesar Salad Day? So are we! The best way to celebrate it is to make sure you’re having a traditional Caesar Salad, eaten in the traditional style! That’s right, you’ve been eating Caesar Salad wrong all this time! The correct way to eat it is to have it prepared with whole romaine leaves, and then consuming the salad by lifting those by the stem and consuming it with the fingers! Cardini never intended for it to be a salad eaten with a fork! However you indulge, make sure you enjoy a big Caesar Salad for Caesar Salad Day!
