Classic 1905 salad recipe gets a modern take in viral video

A few timeless classics: The Mona Lisa. “Citizen Kane.” The 1905 salad.

Now, that last one might come as a surprise, but hear me out. The 1905 salad is a legend in Tampa, Florida, where it first appeared at the Columbia Restaurant.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, the restaurant tweaked the recipe from a salad created by waiter Tony Noriega in the 1940s. It’s been a staple on the menu ever since — “1905” refers to the year the Columbia was founded.

So, what’s the big deal, Tampa?

Salad fans will pick up on the highlights easily. Iceberg lettuce, tomato, ham and Swiss cheese? A great start. Green olives and Romano cheese? Now you’re talkin’.

It’s the unique dressing that really makes the salad, though. It seems pretty standard at first, with olive oil, garlic (four cloves!), oregano, lemon and white wine vinegar in the mix. But then you add a couple of hearty glugs of Worcestershire sauce. All right!

The 1905 salad is making a comeback thanks to a TikTok that went viral in July. The post has been viewed 2.1 million times. User @kathyquad123 shared her version of the salad in an undeniably delicious-looking video.

She makes just a couple of minor changes to the original, like adding red onion and using white and red wine vinegars. In any case, the finished result is a colorful, cool, enormous salad that could be a dinner in itself.

When she took it to a barbecue, people went crazy, she says at the start of the video.

“There wasn’t one piece left,” she adds.

No wonder folks are talking.

Over at Kitchn, writer Rachel Dolfi tried to recreate the TikTok video step-by-step, homemade croutons and all.

It was a success! Dolfi writes that she loved the 1905 salad, calling it “an explosion of texture.”

“Although it’s a bit of work upfront, it feeds a huge amount of people and keeps longer than most dressed salads,” she said in her recipe review. ”If you like a robust, vinegary salad, you’re going to love the 1905,”

Dolfi shared a couple of tips for folks following in her footsteps, too, such as splitting up the prep into two sessions. (The Orlando Sentinel’s recipe also recommends making the dressing a day or two beforehand.)

I’ve been to Tampa exactly once, but I can’t wait to try this Florida classic for myself!