History of the Caprese Salad

The caprese salad is a classic Italian dish that has gained popularity all over the world. The salad is made with fresh tomato, fresh mozzarella slices, basil, olive oil, salt, pepper, and is traditionally placed on a plate in a layered circular pattern. You might notice something about the colors of these ingredients… that’s right, the three main ingredients are the colors of the Italian flag. The red of the tomato, the green of the basil, and the white of the cheese are meant to represent the flag of Italy. Not only do these ingredients represent the colors of Italy, but they are traditional food products of Italy as well.

In the 1920’s, right after the close of World War I, a particularly patriotic stone worker wanted to create a dish that was a tribute to his beloved country. He did this by creating the caprese salad; The red, green, and white dish perfectly represented Italy. There was a very positive response after its creation, but the dish really gained popularity in the 1950s. The salad quickly became a staple of Capri food that tourists from all over the world loved.

Here at Zeppoli’s, we also include a balsamic glaze on our caprese salad, which is an extremely popular modification to the original recipe that only included olive oil as a dressing. The balsamic glaze pairs perfectly with the basil to create a fresh and exciting tasting salad. This simple salad is also the perfect side dish for any meal. When trying this dish at home, make sure to buy the freshest ingredients for the tastiest results!

We hope you enjoyed this brief story of one of our favorite classic Italian dishes, and we’ll catch you later!

-Zeppolis