Your Caesar Salad Is Not Complete Without Anchovies. This Is The Best Type To Buy

Besides pineapple on pizza, there may not be another food combination as divisive as Caesar salad made with anchovies — a tiny fish that nonetheless packs a lot of flavor. But Caesar purists would have it no other way: Ruffle-edged ribs of romaine must be coated in a creamy dressing made with finely diced and then mashed anchovies. Scorn for these forage fish likely stems from a bad first impression; in other words, trying inferior, heavily salted varieties. So what type of anchovies should you purchase to make a Caesar dressing that doesn't come off as too brackish or fishy? We asked a chef for tips, who suggested looking for premium brands imported from the Mediterranean.

"Personally, I don't think a Caesar salad should even be called a Caesar if it does not have anchovies," Jasper J. Mirabile Jr., owner and chef at Jasper's Restaurant in Kansas City, Mo. and host of Live! From Jasper's Kitchen, tells Tasting Table. He says, "Hand chopping with a fork and a wooden salad bowl is the only way I puree the anchovies. I prefer high-quality, olive oil-packed anchovy filets cured in salt. The best are anchovies from the Mediterranean, especially Spain (Cantabrian Sea), Italy, or France, renowned for their quality brands like Ortiz (Spain), Agostino Recca (Italy), or La Belle-Iloise from France."

You can source some of these brands online, like these Agostino Recca flat filet anchovies in olive oil, but they don't come cheap, so if you find them in a local speciality food shop it may be worth stocking up.

We usually recommend including anchovies in a Caesar salad dressing for the fullest flavor dressing; and if you follow chef Mirabile's advice on choosing good-quality anchovies it won't taste at all fishy. But in fact the original version of the salad contained no fish. Like the back stories of most famous dishes, the Caesar's origins are disputed by some. However, most credit Italian-born restaurateur Caesar Cardini, who in the 1920s uprooted his establishment in San Diego and opened it in Tijuana, Mexico to avoid the U.S. ban on alcohol during Prohibition.

According to family and local lore, the Caesar was born out of necessity. Cardini threw it together after running low on supplies during Independence Day weekend for a group of visiting Americans and relied on what he had left: Romaine lettuce, lemon juice, coddled egg, olive oil, crostini, Parmesan cheese, and Worcestershire sauce. The latter ingredient, which typically contains anchovies, would have added the necessary deep umami flavors. Cardini then had it prepared tableside to bring a bit of fanfare to the guests' experience.

For home cooks who will never allow a tin of anchovies into their kitchen, Mediterranean or otherwise, the initial version with Worcestershire may be a good option. But if the presence of any anchovy is unappetizing, even when hidden in a bottle of Lea & Perrins, there are substitutes, including capers or this vegan dressing, which also relies on capers and cashew cream. Whatever type of Caesar you end up eating, take a moment to salute its longevity. On July 4, 2024, the salad was honored with a four-day party in Tijuana for its centennial, which featured celebrity chefs and a recreation of that original Fourth of July dinner.