A look at how the famous Caesar salad that turns 100 this year continues to be relevant even today
Created by Italian chef, Caesar Cardini, in Mexico, the Caesar Salad has transformed into social media's darling as IT girls swear by it
A bed of green crunchy lettuce, salty Parmesan cheese flakes and crispy croutons all mixed together with a creamy garlicky dressing of mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, anchovies & lemon juice, a Caesar salad is an amalgamation of flavours and textures. While you may assume that this salad finds its beginnings in the cushy lap of the infamous Roman dictator - Julius Caesar - its roots are much more recent, around 100 years ago.
An Italian chef, Caesar Cardini, looking to avoid the prohibition era in America, moved to Mexico. It was here that he created this salad, which would go on to become a classic side dish that has garnered fans around the world. The Hotel Caesar in Tijuana still stands today and the servers continue Cardini’s legacy when they put on production as they prepare the salad by your tableside. From smushing the anchovies to emulsifying the dressing and plating it, the experience is truly unique. The hotel still makes as many as 300 Caesar salads a day.
With plans for a three-day food and wine festival to commemorate the incredible salad, Tijuana will also unveil of a statue of Cardini, reports The Associated Press.
Served with wedges of lettuce drizzled with the dressing or chopped leafy greens. The Caesar salad forms the perfect base to add your own toppings- chicken, fish, boiled eggs, prawns, tofu, chickpeas, the options are truly endless and delicious. Pair it with pizza or fries for a kiss of health, add it to a roll and make it into a sandwich or mix in some pasta for a rounded meal.
Like all classics, social media users have taken this easy-to-make salad and given it a little bit of a twist - adding it to a pizza or waffle base made of chicken and it also forms a component of the holy trinity of what has been termed ‘the perfect meal’. This ‘girl dinner’ includes a portion of fries and a side of Caesar salad that is washed down with a martini.
