A lot of foods have some pretty obvious names that have you understand exactly what they are made of before you even take a bite. Some, on the other hand, are pretty imaginative and come from experiences, people, places and even other foods.
Beef Wellington
Arthur Wellesley became an overnight hero when he won against Napoleon in 1815. Because of his love for beef, mushrooms, wine and truffles cooked in pastry, the famous dish was named after him.
Eggs Benedict
At a high-end restaurant in New York named Delmonico’s, two regular diners called Mr and Mrs Benedict complained that the menu changes. On hearing the complaint, the head chef of the restaurant served them a muffin with ham and eggs on top along with Hollandaise sauce.
The Arnold Palmer
The famous golfer was known to carry around this refreshing drink with him no matter where he went which is a mixture of lemonade and iced tea. He chanced upon this drink when he mixed some of his wife’s iced tea that she had made with his lemonade. He liked it so much that by the 60’ everyone knew the drink as the Arnold Palmer.
Ceaser Salad
Multiple people wrongly believe that this salad was named after Julius Caesar but it is in fact named after Caesar Cardini who owned an Italian restaurant in the middle of Mexico. In the mid-1920’s both he and his brother created a salad that was later named after Cardini himself.
German Chocolate Cake
German Chocolate cake was actually named after an American baker rather than the country. In the 19th Century, an American baker known as Sam German created a baking bar. Later a newspaper covered a recipe using German’s sweet chocolate which led to the baking bar getting a lot of attention. Over time, it became known as the German chocolate cake.
Graham Crackers
In the 18th Century, Reverend Sylvester Graham who believed that sex was the root of all evil and ill health, tried to convince people to follow a predominately vegetarian diet that used wheat as its main ingredient. Graham crackers were actually a part of this diet he believed in and was selling as a healthy alternative.
Nachos
In 1943, a tiny restaurant in a Mexican town was flooded with army wives whose husbands were stationed nearby in Texas. When they came in the restaurant was closed but Ignacio Anaya came up with a quick snack instead that consisted of fried tortilla chips, cheese and jalapenos. After they became quite a hit, he named it after himself by shortening his own name.
