9 Things About Caesar Salad You Probably Didn't Know

Like apple pie, meatloaf, and hot dogs, Caesar salad has secured itself as an American food staple. In fact, it's one of the most commonly-featured restaurant menu items in the country, having found places in both the finest of restaurants and the most questionable of dumps. There is more to the romaine lettuce-based salad than meets the eye, though. Your favorite lunchtime indulgence has a rich history that may surprise even the most knowledgeable of food experts.

But first: What is Caesar salad?

A traditional Caesar contains romaine lettuce, croutons, garlic, lemon juice, eggs, parmesan, Worcestershire sauce or anchovies, and salt and pepper. Ingredient amounts vary from chef to chef, but the best (and most authentic) Caesar you're going to get is tossed tableside to ensure freshness. No, your bottled Kraft Caesar Salad is not an accurate representation of the original. Scroll down for a history of the delicious dish, as well as some random facts that will surely impress all of your future dinner guests.

The Caesar salad how a history dating back to emperor Julius Caesar ... or so you may think. The rather surprising reality is that Julius Caesar actually has no connection whatsoever to the Caesar salad. 

Though we're sure the famous Roman wouldn't have minded a plate of the dressing-doused greens, the Caesar salad is linked to chef and restaurateur Caesar Cardini. Cardini invented the recipe at his Tijuana restaurant, Caesar's Bar and Grill, in 1924. Apparently, they were running low on inventory during a 4th of July party and the dish was concocted using random ingredients found in the kitchen. The result was obviously delicious, resulting in a culinary classic that has withstood the test of time.

Not to be outdone by the one and only Independence Day, the Caesar salad actually has a holiday too — and it's also on July 4th. Caesar Salad Day was created to celebrate the creation of the salad, which happened on July 4th, 1924, It not only commemorates the day of its birth, but also makes for the perfect summer BBQ side dish. There's no better way to celebrate the holiday than by sitting back with a giant bowl of Caesar salad. Frankly, the garlic content will have you seeing fireworks.

There is plenty of debate as to whether or not anchovies should be used in Caesar dressing. Those who support their inclusion will likely point out that anchovies were actually part of the original recipe. While that sounds plausible, it is not actually accurate. Instead, Caesar Cardini actually wound up using Worcestershire sauce in both his original recipe and bottled varieties. That doesn't mean Worcestershire sauce in Caesar salad is superior — try it both ways and decide which option reigns supreme.

Feeling hungry? You're probably craving a humungous bowl of Caesar salad — we don't blame you, it's delicious. But even a hundred of the world's hungriest people combined wouldn't stand a chance against the single largest Caesar salad in history. 

According to Guinness World Records, the largest Caesar salad ever was prepared by Canirac restaurant in Tijuana on October 20, 2007. The salad required a team of 160 participants to create it. It weighed in at a staggering 3.287 tonnes. The ingredients include 2538kg of lettuce, 200kg of cheese, a whopping 68kg of croutons, and a monumental 480kg of dressing. Not even a Brontosaurus — or a whole group of them — could finish it.

There was a time when nobody thought much of the humble Romaine lettuce, with Iceberg being the dominant form before the rise of Caesar. A very impressive 43.2% of lettuce was Romaine, making it the single most popular kind of lettuce in America in 2017. There are nearly 80,000 acres of Romaine farms today, thanks mostly in part to fast food's decision to top Caesar with grilled chicken and call it a health food. Hooray for domestically-raised produce and a better economy!

Yes, the chicken Caesar salad is available at pretty much every restaurant, and often with plenty of crispy bacon as well. It's a perfect meal — or appetizer, depending on the size. However, traditionally a Caesar salad had no meat of any kind — no chicken, no bacon, nothing. An original Caesar doesn't even have croutons — instead, there's just one large crouton instead of the small ones Caesar lovers have gotten used to. Sorry, meat lovers. We know you need your protein, but it wouldn't fly with Cardini. Thankfully, most restaurants are more than willing to add meat to your Caesar salad.

While we now know Caesar salad didn't have meat back in the day, there's an even stranger way the salad was consumed. In fact, it was hardly even considered a salad. Caesar salad was actually more of a finger food. Rather than chopping the salad leaves, diners were able to pick them up by the stems and eat them. They're no PF Chang's lettuce wraps, but we kind of like this idea of deconstructed eating.

Caesar dressing is really what makes a Caesar salad beloved everywhere. There are tons of different ways we can interpret what makes the dressing perfect. One thing's for sure — you need eggs. While many opt for cooked eggs, Caesar dressing is best when using raw egg. If you're scared of salmonella, have no fear. The lemon juice's acidity will typically kill any lingering bacteria. Plus, we're pretty sure Arnold Schwarzenegger consumed a dozen raw eggs each day and he turned out fine.

Prior to its invention, salads were always meant to be side dishes and not filling entrees. But when amazing salads like Caesar and even Cobb came forth, and people couldn't get enough of them, and wanted them in bigger, more filling portions. But because Caesar tastes oh-so-good, we simply couldn't get enough. Lunchtime office salads for all!