Chicken Caesar Salad? Perhaps one may wonder, the great Julius Caesar actually had the time to invent a salad named after him during the 100 BC? Nope. The famous Caesar salad is not named after the renowned Roman politician. In fact, it was not until the 1920s that Caesar salad became a dish of today!
The original Caesar Salad comprises of romaine lettuce, anchovies, croutons, egg dressed in lemon juice (or lime juice), olive oil, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper.
The Naming of Caesar’s Salad
There have been no certifiable facts as to who had first invented the Caesar Salad. A handful of people claimed that they created the first salad. The Caesar Salad was named after Caesar Cardini, an Italian born in Laggo Maggiore back in 1896.
Caesar and his brother, Alex immigrated to the United States and settled down in San Diego. Nevertheless, to avoid Prohibition (1920 – 1933: a nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages), the Cardini’s opened a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico.
Rosa Cardini, Caesar’s daughter, illustrated that her father whipped up the historic salad with whatever that he had during a busy weekend celebrating the 4th of July right at the tableside for customers so as not to disappoint them.
It delighted everyone, and soon people are coming in for a bowl of Caesar’s salad with every meal! The events may be disputed as it was only one’s claim, but situations as such often occur in restaurants which ended up having a particular dish becoming a big hit!
The salad may have been named after Caesar, but friends and family countered the statement. Cardini’s partner, Paul Maggiora, claimed to have created the first Caesar’s salad for San Diego’s airmen and named the dish as ‘Aviator’s Salad’. A worker of 18 years old in Caesar’s kitchen, Livio Santini claimed to have tossed the salad from his mum’s recipe and that Caesar took the recipe from him instead.
Alex, Caesar’s brother, allegedly named his salad the ‘Aviator’s Salad’ too. Being a pilot in the Italian Air Force during World War I, he apparently made breakfast for a group of Rockwell Field Air Force pilots who had a long night of drinks. The content of the breakfast was the salad he made and called it ‘Aviator’s Salad’ in honour of his flying pals.
As the popularity of the salad rises, people would often say “Let’s head to Caesar’s to have that bowl of salad…” and that was how the name stuck!
Addition of Chicken to Caesar’s Salad
The original Caesar’s Salad was just plain vegetables and some dressings, but as time goes by, chefs and restaurant owners alike started adding on toppings of their own. One of the most notable renditions of Caesar’s Salad was the Chicken Caesar Salad where cut pieces of chicken breasts, be it smoked, grilled, pan-fried were added to the salad. The addition of proteins made the dish a balanced meal of proteins, dietary fibres and fats.
A Chicken Caesar Salad, Please!
To those who are opting to have a light, healthy yet scrumptious meal, the Chicken Caesar Salad is just for you. Here are some restaurants that are selling the well-known salad which are Cubes Pizza, Trix and Presley & Co. Don’t forget! You can order via foodpanda too!
Read more about different types of salad here, and decide which one of them you would like most!