But what is the story behind this tasty New York salad that is so popular in Peru and has become a staple on Christmas Eve? Let’s explore its interesting history…
The life of Oscar Tschirky
It is known that Oscar Tschirky, the historic and original maître d' of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, was the creator of the famous salad. The original recipe is found in his cookbook, "Oscar's Cookbook from the Waldorf," with just three ingredients: apples, celery, and mayonnaise.
The most intriguing part of the story of the dish he is best known for, and a testament to recipe documentation, is how many interactions it has had throughout his life. According to web references, no two cookbooks worldwide have the same salad ingredients.
Over time, nuts seem to have become an integral part of the mix, first appearing in a specific recipe in a cookbook by Escoffier, and later more broadly in the 1928 Rector’s Cookbook.
This suggests that the addition might have been as unsystematic as someone who owned a nut nursery, or a chef who thought the salad lacked balance and flavor. The ingredient list grew over the years, possibly due to personal reinterpretations.
What does George Rector say
George Rector's 1939 version in "Home at the Range" feels entirely modern, with bitter greens and a sprinkle of paprika. "American Food" by Evan Jones includes a recipe with mayonnaise made from walnut oil. Whipped cream was even used instead of mayonnaise.
Gelatin and apple cider vinegar are part of the recipe in "The American Century Cookbook," and there are mentions of add-ins like marshmallows and hard-boiled eggs.
As Evan Jones points out in "American Food," the salad was born for a "social dinner" of 1500 people to celebrate the opening of the Waldorf in spring 1893.
It emerged at the height of the cold salad craze, when midday meals touched the late afternoon. Sweet salads were fashionable, even if it seemed like a passing trend in the early 20th century.
Society’s accepted notions about meals and their components have drastically changed over time, while recipes have continually reinterpreted the ingredients to fit each new decade.
According to Chef Garcelon, Oscar was a celebrity in his own right. Before the era of highly visible chefs, he said, Oscar was the one who interacted with guests, the person who educated people about food and wine at the time.
Oscar was born in Switzerland and worked his way up during the hotel’s rise, from an unknown waiter to maître d’ at Delmonico's, and later at the Waldorf.
Entering a strong culinary tradition like the Waldorf’s, Chef Garcelon combined all the different hotel preparations for the salad and decided to reimagine it his way: today, he uses julienned green and red apples, brunoise of celery, truffle oil, candied walnuts, microgreens, and an emulsion vinaigrette.
For him, this updates the Waldorf salad to 2020. And despite its age and divisive reputation, it remains the most ordered dish on the menu. Talk about staying power.
