Cowboy caviar was created by Helen Corbitt, a New York native who became a celebrated chef in Texas. She first served the dish on New Year's Eve at the Houston Country Club in the 1940s. Later, as the director of Neiman Marcus's Zodiac Room, she continued to popularize the dish. It was initially called Texas caviar as a humorous comparison to true caviar, and over time, it also became known as cowboy caviar.