November 14, 2025, 2:38 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
If you’re craving a Caesar salad, you’ll typically find it in restaurants with American cuisine, sometimes in steakhouses or upscale brasseries. Alternatively, you can easily prepare the romaine lettuce with its special dressing, croutons, and Parmesan yourself—preferably following an American recipe. Given these details, you might be surprised to learn where this classic salad was originally invented. More on that at TRAVELBOOK.
Romaine lettuce, eggs, Parmesan, croutons, Worcestershire sauce—incidentally, an invention from England—lemon juice, and olive oil: These are the basic ingredients needed for a Caesar salad. Traditionally, the dressing also includes garlic, mustard, and anchovies. Grilled or briefly fried meat, usually poultry, is often served with it, or shrimp if you prefer. Caesar salad is now considered a classic of American cuisine. However, it was invented elsewhere: in the Mexican border town of Tijuana.
The Origin Story of Caesar Salad
Take another look at the ingredients. It’s actually a rather unusual combination for a salad, isn’t it? This is already part of the more than 100-year history of Caesar salad. According to legend, which is also covered by the German Federal Center for Nutrition (BZFE), the now-popular creation traces back to the Italian-American Cesare Cardini.
The year is 1924, and Prohibition is in effect in the U.S.: The sale and distribution of alcohol are strictly prohibited. Many Americans travel to Mexico to drink and celebrate legally. Tijuana, in particular, is popular due to its proximity to California—and so is Cardini’s restaurant there. On July 4, 1924, U.S. Independence Day, it is especially crowded with compatriots in a festive mood. According to the story, Cardini runs out of supplies. He still wants to serve his guests, ideally with something special. The famous Caesar salad is thus created from the remaining ingredients that the chef can sensibly combine. That’s why it bears his name. The restaurant still exists today. It serves the Caesar salad according to the original 1924 recipe—for an extra charge, prepared tableside in front of the guests; and by the way, as a side dish to share or as an appetizer.
How to Prepare Caesar Salad Yourself
Given the improvised origin story of Caesar salad, you can be forgiven if you don’t strictly adhere to the original recipe or omit ingredients you might not like. For example, many people don’t tolerate garlic well, and anchovies might not be to everyone’s taste. The following ingredient list would be complete, though.
- 2 heads of romaine lettuce
- 1 egg (L), cooked for 1 minute–use the yolk and about a third of the white
- 1 clove of garlic (optional)
- Salt, black pepper
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp anchovy paste or 1 chopped anchovy fillet (optional)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Juice of half a lime (or lemon)
- 80 milliliters of olive oil + some oil for the croutons
- 30 g freshly grated Parmesan (+ a bit more for sprinkling)
- 4 slices of Italian white bread
For the classic Caesar salad, you should have 20 nice leaves of washed and dried romaine lettuce. For the dressing, mix the crushed garlic, mustard, egg, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, and pepper. Gradually add the olive oil while stirring constantly until a creamy sauce forms. Mix in the Parmesan and season to taste. Now, cut the white bread into cubes and toast in olive oil until light brown to make the croutons. Thoroughly toss the lettuce leaves in the bowl with the dressing until they are completely coated. Serve with the croutons and some additional shaved Parmesan.