You’ve Got the Wrong Caesar
It seems like it might be easy to point to the birthplace of the popular dish known as the Caesar salad. Caesar must mean the salad was created in Italy, right? It’s true that Caesar salad has traveled a long way from its birthplace. So far, in fact, many associate it with ancient Rome and the leader Julius Caesar. The thing is, that’s the wrong Caesar.
The famous salad’s backstory doesn’t come from debate on the ancient Roman Senate floor, but instead runs through restaurants, American Prohibition, and a destination just “south of the border.”
Today’s Trivia Question
How was Caesar salad traditionally prepared for diners at Cardini’s restaurant?
(pick one to reveal the answer)
Bonus if you know the name of the city where the Caesar salad was created.
| A Few More for Fun… |
Caesar Cardini’s daughter Rosa has said that a specific ingredient gave her father’s original recipe unique flavor. What is it?
(pick one to reveal the answer)
| A Few More Trivia Questions Before You Go… |
So, we have an Italian-born restaurateur, a Mexican location, Prohibition, tableside service, and debates over anchovies that could rival the ancient Roman Senate. Surprisingly, the salad still has more to tell us.
Science
History
Geography
Movies
Since we’ve dragged Julius Caesar into this discussion of a salad he had nothing to do with, who played him in the famous 1963 film Cleopatra?
(pick one to reveal the answer)
Language
Answers
Today’s question Answer: B. Tableside. Call it a bit of “dinner theater,” because preparing a Caesar salad was part of the experience. Long before one ever arrived in a plastic takeout container, it was put together right at your table! | |
| 01 | Answer: C. 1924. Many Americans were dining just over the Mexican border so they could have a tipple with their meals, and so the creation of the salad came smack in the middle of Prohibition. It also included something extra in addition to the booze on the side: a briny, savory flavor. |
| 02 | Answer: C. Worcestershire sauce. According to Rosa Cardini, her father did not put anchovies directly into the original recipe. Instead, she explained, Worcestershire sauce supplied that flavor. Others have tried to associate their restaurants with the recipe, and many feature whole anchovies and disqualify themselves as the originators in the process! |
| 03 | Answer: B. Emulsion. Oil and water would normally prefer to go their separate ways, but whisking breaks one liquid into tiny droplets that disperse through the other, and when it’s done using Caesar’s ingredients, it tastes pretty good, too. |
| 04 | Answer: B. The 18th Amendment. The 21st Amendment repealed it in 1933. By then, Caesar salad had been around for nearly a decade and had built quite a following. |
| 05 | Answer: B. Baja California. The city sits right on the U.S.-Mexico border, which made the Prohibition-era “dinner dates” a lot more practical than they sound. |
| 06 | Answer: B. Rex Harrison. You might have guessed Richard Burton, but he played Mark Antony. So, Julius Caesar gets his moment in the spotlight, but still doesn’t get the salad. |
| 07 | Answer: B. Salt. The word itself traveled through a few different forms referring to salted vegetables before eventually becoming the much broader salad. The Caesar salad has as many details and elements as the average salad bar. From a Latin word for salt and a Roman leader who had no hand in creating the dish to a city south of the border and tableside service, the Caesar salad has come a long way. Not too shabby for a bowl of lettuce! |
How did you do? Score 1 point for each correct answer and 1 point for each bonus you knew. Perfect score: 10.
|
