Caesar Salad is 101 Years Old and We Still Don’t Know for Sure Who Invented It

Caesar salad is probably the most famous salad in the world, so much so that it has a world day dedicated to it: July 4th. The date is not a coincidence: it seems that it was born on this very day, a day that is not at all indifferent to us Americans. July 4th is also the day of Independence Day in the United States and this is why Caesar salad is so closely linked to this holiday in the USA, even if, all things considered, it doesn't seem to be exactly American. But when was it born? And who created it? In reality, the invention of Caesar salad is shrouded in legend and there is no definitive and universally accepted answer. The most widespread story attributes the paternity of the dish to Cesare Cardini, an Italian chef who emigrated to Mexico. According to this version, Cardini created the salad in 1924 in his restaurant in Tijuana, "Caesar's Place", to satisfy the requests of a group of American airmen.

Who Invented Caesar Salad?

The most widely accepted story takes us to Mexico, to the restaurant of Cesare Cardini, an emigrant from the Lake Maggiore area who arrived in Tijuana after the First World War. It seems that the Italian invented the salad to cheer up some American pilots from the  Rockwell Field Air Force who had come to the restaurant to celebrate American independence with a drink abroad and avoid the axe of prohibition. Cardini offers them a plate with what he has in the kitchen: romaine lettuce, croutons, Parmesan, combined with a special sauce made with eggs, lemon, oil, garlic, pepper, Worcester sauce, a sauce that would later take the name of "Salsa Caesar". No, initially the chicken was not present and this detail is the basis of many "conspiracy theories" that want to take the paternity of the dish away from Cardini.

The military is very fond of the dish, also due to a primordial improvised storytelling by Cardini: he calls it "A viator salad" (aviator's salad), in English and not in Spanish despite the territory in which the restaurant is located, just to make them like it, also because in the end it was born as a poor and leftover dish, concepts far from the stars and stripes mentality. With this name it initially arrives in the United States but this definition does not last long because everyone talks about the spectacular "Caesar's salad" eaten in Mexico. The fortune of Cardini and the dish, however, lies in his relatives: Cesare in fact has a part of the family in Los Angeles that imports the recipe and proposes it to the California jet set. According to legend, it was none other than Wallis Simpson, wife of Edward VIII, Duke of Windsor, who brought Caesar salad to Europe after her husband's abdication from the throne of England.

The legend of this salad also lies in its historical inscrutability: the Cardini family "appropriated" the recipe, making it officially their own, but over the years they have had to defend themselves from dozens of accusations of plagiarism, many from their own employees. The first came from a waiter back in the days in Mexico; then from Livio Santini, a chef who worked with Cesare Cardini; then again from George Rector, an American restaurateur who brought the recipe to Los Angeles and made it famous; and finally from Maggie Waterfall, a dancer and actress who suggested that Cardini add chicken to the recipe because, in her opinion, it was too lean.

The history shrouded in mystery and the many legends that accompany its genesis contribute to the international fame of this dish, but not as much as its taste. Caesar salad is special for its unique combination of simplicity, flavor, versatility, history and tradition. It is a dish that has conquered the palates of millions of people around the world and continues to be appreciated for its goodness and ease of preparation.