Question
Why is the Caesar salad named “Caesar”—is it named after Julius Caesar?
Answer
The standard Caesar salad legend credits the creation of the recipe to an Italian immigrant, Caesar Cardini, who operated a restaurant in Tijuana. According to Caesar’s daughter Rosa, he tossed the first Caesar’s salad on the evening of July 4, 1924.
It is said that Caesar was short of supplies during a busy weekend and didn’t want to disappoint his customers, so he concocted this salad with what was on hand. And to add flair, he prepared it at the table. The dish soon became a hit and people came to the restaurant just to eat the Caesar salad.