Caesar dressing comes from Caesar salad, a popular item on many restaurant menus. You will hear two different stories about the origin of the name for Caesar salad. One story is that it was named for Julius Caesar. Another story is that Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant to the United States, developed the salad dressing in the 1920s for his restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. Caesar salad dressing is made of oil, lemon juice, raw egg, parmesan cheese, herbs and spices.
Some recipes contain anchovy filets, too.
Anchovy plays a role in the unique taste of another salad dressing with an interesting name, Green Goddess . Recipes for this dressing call for mayonnaise, anchovy fillets or paste, vinegar, garlic, green onion, parsley, chives and tarragon. The name apparently honored George Arliss, an early 20th century actor who was known mainly for his portrayal of Benjamin Disraeli, the British prime minister. Vinaigrette is a generic name for a salad dressing that uses oil and vinegar as its base and adds herbs and spices. There are many variations of vinaigrette, and it is popular because it can be lower in calories and fat than dressings that use mayonnaise.