Some forms of salad have been eaten for centuries, originally made primarily of cabbage and root vegetables, flavored with vinegar, oils, and herbs. The ancient Greeks believed that raw green vegetables promoted good digestion, and the Romans agreed. The first records of lettuce appeared in the 6th century BC. C., although they looked little like our current varieties.

Salads have come a long way from the pedestrian version of lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. Today there is no end to the hundreds of varieties, toppings, and dressings available to our salad-crazed nation. In the 1920s, they found success when restaurant chefs created Caesar, Chef, Cobb, and fruit salads. Canned vegetables and fruits became more readily available and added to the mix, allowing Americans to eat salads all year long. Simple vinegar and oil made way for bottled dressings and mayonnaise, paving the way for “joined salads.” It sounds a little weird, but this category includes some of our favorites: Tuna Salad, Chicken Salad, Egg Salad, Ham Salad, Shrimp, and Crab Salad. Chicken came first, appearing in cookbooks in the mid-19th century, tuna much later with the advent of canned tuna. In the late 1930s, Spam made ham salad easy and egg salad a natural. With the introduction of Jello gelatin, molded salads took a colorful place in any lunch.

Restaurateur Robert Cobb created the salad that bears his name at his Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood; The chef’s salad debuted at the Ritz Carlton in New York and originally included sliced ​​ox tongue along with ham and cheese. (Thankfully, in later years, turkey or chicken replaced ox tongue.) In the early days of Hollywood, Caesar salad was embraced by stars, who happily ate this trendy salad at some of their favorite restaurants. The creator, Caesar Cardini, eventually bottled and sold his signature dressing in the Los Angeles area. A favorite restaurant in Chicago, the Blackhawk, featured its signature “salad spinner” along with each entrée on the menu, served tableside.

French chefs prepared vinaigrette dressings with oil, herbs, chopped shallots, and paprika throughout the 19th century. Those especially adventurous added tomato sauce, which became the base for the classic French dressing. Kraft Foods, in 1939, introduced its popular, orange-colored version. Boomers remember it being sprinkled on iceberg lettuce. Miracle Whip appeared around the same time, labeled as a salad dressing, but used primarily to bind together chopped meat, poultry, or eggs for a tasty sandwich filling. In the 1920s, the Green Goddess Dressing Room was created in a San Francisco restaurant in honor of a play of the same name. (Good thing death of a seller did not start that same year.)

Colonial America grew lettuce in their home gardens, along with cabbage, beans, and root vegetables. A delicate seasonal food, it was enjoyed only in the summer and was not available year-round until the 20th century, when California grew and shipped head lettuce across the country. There is no doubt that enthusiastic President Thomas Jefferson experimented with a number of varieties that were served daily to his family and dinner guests, with vinaigrette dressing or a sprinkle of herbs and mayonnaise (his chef was trained from him). in France).

As Americans developed more sophisticated tastes, traditional iceberg lettuce took a back seat to romaine lettuce, arugula, endive, radicchio, and field greens. Originally, these varieties were considered elite greens due to price and expiration. Lately, retro salads are popping up with iceberg lettuce quarters and dressing. For Boomers who grew up on this stuff, it goes back to the 50s along with Spam salad, meatloaf, canned fruit cocktail, and popsicles.

With Americans’ love of pasta, it was only a matter of time before pasta salad emerged, first appearing as a simple macaroni salad, giving way to more sophisticated versions and add-ins.

European immigrants brought their potato salad recipes to America, both hot and cold, that used the inexpensive, easy-to-grow potato as a hearty base. Europe was serving potato salad as early as the 17th century, usually mixed with vinegar, oil, and bacon, the forerunner of German potato salad, served hot. Warmer climates enjoyed cold potatoes with cream and vegetables. Not far behind in the cooking department, the French went a step further and added mayonnaise, herbs, and mustard—Dijon, of course. (No self-respecting Frenchman would even think of using yellow mustard the way Americans do.)

Since the 1970s, when salad bars became of rigor, the humble salad has taken center stage, no longer an afterthought alongside an entrée. Supermarkets stock pre-packaged lettuce and salad toppings, boxed pasta salad mixes, and rows of colorful greens and veggies, all ready for dressing. No longer considered “rabbit food”, we can enjoy it almost anywhere. So come up to the bar and go for it.