- The Caesar salad is 100 years old this year
- To commemorate the anniversary, a statue will be unveiled in the city it was created
- The Caesar salad is still one of the most popular in the world
There will be a new statue unveiled in Tijuana, Mexico this month – and it will commemorate the man who created one of the most popular dishes in the world.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of when the Caesar salad was created and now a statue is being erected to commemorate Caesar Cardini, the restauranteur who created it.
Signature creation
The story goes that Cardini, an Italian immigrant, created the dish on July 4, 1924, at his restaurant, Caesar’s Place in Tijuana, for a group of Californians who had crossed the border to escape the US, where Prohibition – when consumption of alcohol was banned – was in full swing.
Cardini grabbed ingredients he had to hand – including Romaine leaves, lemons, eggs, Parmesan cheese, garlic-flavored oil and Worcestershire sauce – and mixed them in the middle of the dining room, and the rest is history.
As well as the statue of Cardini, Tijuana is holding a three-day food and wine festival to commemorate the anniversary. Cardini’s later restaurant, Caesar’s – opened some years after his signature dish was created – is still serving today and makes up to 300 Caesar salads a day, according to AP News.
Enduring popularity
Caesar salads remain popular around the world and can be found in many restaurants, although today there are many variations on the original recipe.
Caesar salad dressing is also a staple in many fridges around the world – more than $150 million was spent on it in the USA alone last year. Indeed, Cardini-branded dressings can still be bought – although the company is no longer run by the Cardini family.
