Salad is a ubiquitous food in many cafeterias and restaurants worldwide. Set lunches and dinners usually have some type of salad to serve as an appetizer before the main course. Typically, a salad is a cold dish of raw or cooked vegetables combined with a seasoning usually composed of vinegar, oil, or other salad dressings. Different types of meat and fish can also accompany a salad, and some salads also call for croutons or bread to make it a complete meal.
Health-conscious individuals would insist on eating salad alone, but in the grand scheme of things, a salad helps prepare the palate for the main dish. Some will say that a portion of salad on your plate will help make your meal a more balanced, more nutritious meal and who could argue with that? Salads are notoriously rich in minerals and vitamins from the vegetables and protein from the meat or fish that you add.
Have you ever wondered who invented salad and how different iterations of the food came to be? In this article, we’ll take a headlong dive into its history and evolution.
Who invented salad?
You might be surprised to know that it was the ancient Romans and Greeks who gathered and layered different raw vegetables in the 1st century CE. Accordingly, they also sprinkled them with a combination of salt, oil, vinegar, and herbs, and thus they created the first salad in history. They called this the “herba salata,” which translates to salted herbs. It may be simple in form, but even Hippocrates argued that eating a salad before a meal helped to remove the obstructions inside the intestines. His critics lashed back at the great philosopher and stated that the vinegar in salad affected the taste of the wine, and thus, salad should be eaten after the meal.
Fast forward to the Medieval ages, and people knew that they could combine different green leafy vegetables to consume as part of their meal. They also tossed the greens with various toppings such as oil, salt, vinegar, herbs, and spices. Most of the salads they enjoyed looked the same as the salads that people enjoy nowadays.
However, several salad types also emerged from different kitchens around the world, starting in the late 1890s and early 1900s. Waldorf-Astoria Hotel’s maître d’ hotel Oscar Tschirky composed the Waldorf salad in 1896 when he combined apples, celery, grapes, and mayonnaise and served them chilled. In 1924, Italian restauranteur Cesare “Caesar” Cardini combined romaine lettuce and croutons with Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, eggs, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and Dijon mustard. He added the extra flair of tossing salad at the table and came up with the Caesar salad.
Italians from the city of Nice gave the world salad Nicoise, which is made by combining Nicoise olives, eggs, tomatoes, and tuna or anchovies, and dressed with either olive oil or a vinaigrette. The Cobb salad originated from the Hollywood Brown Derby Restaurant in 1938. Salad was named after the owner of the place, Robert Howard Cobb, and is made of salad greens, tomatoes, chicken breast, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, blue cheese, and tossed in a red-wine vinaigrette.
Other countries also have their types of salads highlighting different ingredients and their culture. For example, South Americans have ceviche, the Dutch have coleslaw, the Indians have kachumber, and the Indonesians have asinan. Almost all countries have their version of the fruit salad. Salads come in many different shapes and forms, often with varying ingredients but almost always served warm or cold as part of a terrific meal.
Salad’s key contributors (and evolution)
- 1<sup>st</sup> century CEAncient Greeks and Romans made the first salad.
Ancient Greeks and Romans gathered and layered different raw vegetables and sprinkled them with oil, salt, vinegar, and herbs. They called this “herba salata.” Philosopher Hippocrates stirred a debate when he said that salad should be eaten before the main course to remove intestinal obstructions. His detractors stated that the vinegar affected the taste of wine, and thus, salad must be eaten after the meal.
- Medieval agesCommoners subsisted and created different salad combinations.
The medieval times saw commoners subsist on salads. They created different salad combinations depending on the vegetables they gathered and mixed them with various toppings.
- 1896Maître d’ hotel Oscar Tschirky created the Waldorf salad.
Waldorf-Astoria’s maître d’ hotel Oscar Tschirky created the Waldorf salad when he combined celery, apples, and grapes with mayonnaise and served them cold to customers in the hotel.
- 1924Restauranteur Cesare “Caesar” Cardini invented the Caesar Salad.
Italian restauranteur Cesare “Caesar” Cardini invented the Caesar Salad in his restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. He combined croutons and romaine lettuce with Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, eggs, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and Dijon mustard. Cardini made it a spectacle as he tossed salad at the customers’ tableside. Accounts say he improvised the recipe because the ingredients were all that were left during the time.
- 1938Bob Cobb created Cobb salad.
Historians couldn’t agree whether Robert Cobb or executive chef Robert Kreis came up with the Cobb Salad at the Hollywood Brown Derby Restaurant in 1938. What’s sure is the Cobb salad was made of different salad greens (romaine, endive, iceberg, watercress), tomatoes, chicken breast, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, blue cheese, and tossed in a red-wine vinaigrette.
When was salad invented?
The ancient Greeks and Romans in the 1st century CE gathered and layered raw vegetables and put a combination of oil, salt, vinegar, and herbs atop them. According to historians, the herba salata was the first salad. Philosopher Hippocrates even stirred a debate when he suggested that salad should be eaten before the main course because it would remove any intestinal obstructions. His critics, though, argued that the vinegar in salad affected the taste of wine and recommended eating salad after the meal.
During medieval times, commoners gathered and made salads as they combined different raw vegetables and used different toppings. As a result, most of their creations look like the salads we enjoy today.
The citizens of Nice, France, created the Nicoise salad, which combined Nicoise olives, eggs, tomatoes, and tuna or anchovies, dressed with either olive oil or a vinaigrette. The fruit salad was probably introduced in the 1900s during the US Naval era in Guam. It consisted of a mixture of native fruits such as mangoes, papayas, young coconuts, and bananas in sweet sauce. Restauranteur Cesare “Caesar” Cardini came up with the Caesar salad one day in his Tijuana, Mexico restaurant. He ran low on stocks and had to improvise something for his customers. He combined romaine lettuce and some croutons and added a mixture of Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, eggs, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and Dijon mustard. He added the tableside salad tossing as an added flair, and the recipe became popular.
In 1896, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel opened, and its maître d’ hotel Oscar Tschirky created the Waldorf salad. He combined celery, apples, and grapes with mayonnaise and served them cold to customers in the hotel. In 1938, Robert Cobb or executive chef Robert Kreis of Hollywood Brown Derby Restaurant came up with the Cobb salad. Salad consisted of different salad greens (romaine, endive, iceberg, watercress), tomatoes, chicken breast, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, blue cheese, and tossed in a red-wine vinaigrette.
A brief history of salad
The ancient Romans and Greeks in the 1st century CE started gathering and layering various raw vegetables. They added vinegar, oil, salt, and herbs to their vegetables and called it herba salata. The great philosopher Hippocrates also stirred a debate when he recommended eating a salad before the main course because he claimed salad would remove intestinal obstructions. His critics answered that the salad’s vinegar affected the wine taste. So they suggested eating salad after the meal.
Fast forward to the medieval ages, and the commoners created their version, foraging vegetables, layering them in a bowl, and tossing them with oil, vinegar, and spices. In the 1890s and the early 1900s, various forms of salad gained a foothold in people’s consciousness. The fruit salad was probably introduced in Guam during the US Naval era. While the natives ate tropical fruits, mixing papayas, mangoes, bananas, and other fruits in sweet syrup was a Western touch.
In 1896, Waldorf-Astoria’s maître d’ hotel Oscar Tschirky created the Waldorf salad. He combined apples, celery, and grapes with mayonnaise and served salad cold. The people of Nice in Italy gave the world Nicoise salad, a combination of tuna or anchovies with Nicoise olives, eggs, and tomatoes tossed in oil or a vinaigrette. Chef Cesare Cardini, also known as Ceasar, came up with his namesake salad in 1924 in Tijuana, Mexico. Accounts say he ran low on products and had to come up with something for his customers. So he mixed croutons and romaine lettuce with Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, olive oil, eggs, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. He also made a spectacle of tossing salad at the tableside.
Food historians still couldn’t agree whether it was Robert Cobb or executive chef Robert Kreis of Hollywood Brown Derby Restaurant who came up with the Cobb salad in 1938. Salad consisted of different salad greens (romaine, endive, iceberg, watercress), tomatoes, chicken breast, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, blue cheese, and tossed in a red-wine vinaigrette.
Other countries also have their versions of salads. Some incorporated protein sources with different vegetables and salad dressings. Some used fruits, some used heavy cream, while others served raw meat as part of their salads.
Salad timeline
- 1<sup>st</sup> century CEAncient Greeks and Romans invented salata herba
Ancient Greeks and Romans combined different raw vegetables and topped them with oil, salt, vinegar, and herbs. They called it the herba salata, which historians consider the first salad.
- Medieval timesCommoners mixed vegetables to make salad
People foraged vegetables and topped them with oil, vinegar, herbs, and spices.
- 1890sWaldorf salad and fruit salad came to fore.
Oscar Tschirky, Waldorf-Astoria’s maître d’ hotel, came up with the Waldorf salad. The fruit salad was introduced in Guam.
- 1900s onwardsDifferent salads invented.
Cesare Cardini came up with the Caesar salad in 1924. Bob Cobb or Robert Kreis came up with the Cobb salad in 1938.
Where was salad invented?
The first salad was invented in ancient Greece and Rome during the 1st century CE. They gathered and layered different raw vegetables and topped them with vinegar, oil, salt, and herbs. They called it herba salata.
The importance of salad
- Provided additional nutrients to complete the meal.
Various vegetables in salads added different nutrients to complete and balance the meal.
- Salad innovated different recipes.
Different cultures have their take on salad. Some incorporate protein sources into their salad; some eat them raw; some use various salad dressings.
- Salad highlighted the need for dressings
Salads need various dressings to complete the presentation. Manufacturers came up with different salad dressings for consumption.
- Salad ushered healthy eating.
Salad ushered healthy eating. It completed a meal and typically added much-needed nutrients.
Salad by the numbers
- 500-600 Nutritionists recommend the caloric range of 500 to 600 if you want to make salad a meal.
- 1-2-3-4This is the ratio recommended to make a perfect salad. One cup of something hearty, two tablespoons of a crunchy component, three types of fruits or vegetables, and four cups of leaves make salad palatable.
- 5This is the number of salad types. Salads are green, bound, vegetable, fruit, and combination.
- 1This is when ancient Greeks and Romans began eating herba salata or raw vegetables topped with oil, vinegar, salt, and herbs during the 1st century CE.
Five facts about salad
- Salads come in different forms
Salads come in different types. Salads can be categorized as green, vegetable, bound, fruit, or combination.
- Salads are healthy
Generally, salads are healthy, especially if they use natural ingredients and you use salad dressings in moderation.
- Salads are a complete meal
You can make a salad a complete meal by adding protein sources such as fish, chicken, or other meat.
- Salad comes from the word “sal.”
The word salad comes from the Latin term “sal,” which means salt.
- The word salad or sallet appeared in the 14<sup>th</sup> century in the English language
Although salad comes from Latin and has a French derivative salade, in English, the term salad or sallet appeared in texts in the 14th century.
FAQs about salad
- What is the shelf life for a salad?
Ready-to-eat salads would last up to five days in the refrigerator if you didn’t put on the dressing.
- What is the most popular salad?
The most famous salad is Caesar, made by Cesare Cardini in 1924.
- Is salad healthy?
Salad is generally healthy because of the vegetables and other leaves in the recipe.
- Do you need to refrigerate salads?
Ready-to-eat salads need refrigeration. You can also refrigerate leftover salads, but you must consume them within three days.
- What’s the most expensive salad?
Celebrity chef Raymond Blanc created the most expensive salad costing $830 in 2010. It contained several types of caviar, lobster, Cornish crab, and langoustines.
