Next time you’re chowing down on your favorite dish, pay attention to its name for a moment. Tracking down the origins of food names is an interesting rabbit hole to find yourself in. Curiously enough, there are plenty of menu items available at restaurants and eateries with names inspired by real people who did amazing things with their lives.
Based on the cuisine you love the most, there are probably several recipes with impressive food names to take into account. (Check out these 30 retro recipes that deserve to make a comeback.)
To gather this list of popular foods you never knew were named after real people, 24/7 Tempo consulted several food-centered sources. These include Farmers Almanac, Taste of Home, and Cookist.
Eggs Benedict
The story of how Eggs Benedict got its name starts with a woman named Miss Legrand Benedict. Allegedly, she got bored of the menu she was consistently being served every day. After complaining there wasn’t any variety on her plate, a talented chef named Ranhofer came up with Eggs Benedict. Much to her delight, he named the dish after her.
Victoria Sponge
Next time you take a bite of Victoria Sponge, silently send a “thank you” to the spirit of Queen Victoria. Victoria Sponge was named after because she enjoyed eating the delectable treat with her tea every afternoon. Sponge cake is incredibly versatile, but Victoria Sponge is a little more specific. It calls for two layers of sponge cake served with whipped cream and strawberry jam spread between.
Margherita Pizza
There are tons of tasty pizza flavors to indulge in, but Margherita pizza stands alone for being incredibly special. The perfect slice of Margherita pizza will include tomatoes, basil, and delicious mozzarella cheese. This pizza flavor was named after Queen Margherita of Savoy. She paid a visit to Naples and inspired the people there. The colors of the pizza are supposed to symbolize the colors of the Italian flag.
Nachos
Nachos didn’t get its name at random. A maître d’ named Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya is the reason nachos have their name today. He came up with the dish while serving a group of military wives who were visiting Mexico from Fort Duncan, Texas. As a way of being a great host, he chopped several tortillas into triangle shapes before frying them. After that, he covered them in melted cheese drizzle and spicy jalapeños.
Cherry Garcia Ice Cream
There are an abundance of mouthwatering ice cream flavors to enjoy when you’re craving something on the sweeter side. Cherry Garcia ice cream is a fabulous flavor that was named after a man named Jerry Garcia. Garcia was one of the guitarists from a band called Grateful Dead. A diehard fan of the band suggested the name to Ben & Jerry’s, and the iconic ice cream brand decided to listen.
Campbell Soup
It’s easy to depend on a warm bowl of Campbell’s soup to make you feel better whenever you’re sick. Campbell’s soup is also known for being incredibly filling, whether you’re under the weather or not. It’s named after Joseph A. Campbell. Too many people are unaware that he’s also famous for another unrelated reason. Campbell was the man behind the pop art phenomenon of the 1800s.
Lays Potato Chips
Potato chips might not be the healthiest snack in the world, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to enjoy them every once in a while. Herman Lay is the man who inspired the name and creation of Lays Potato Chips. It all started back in 1931 when he began traveling throughout the southern portion of the United States. By 1939, he was ready to start selling chips to hungry customers.
Dole Pineapples
Adding a cup of Dole Pineapples to your lunchbox before heading off to school or work is a smart way to stay on track with fitness goals. Many health-conscious people appreciate the benefits of pineapples. These fresh-cut fruits are perfectly packaged and named after a man named James Dole. He relocated to Hawaii in 1899 with plans to grow and sell the sweetest pineapples ever. He succeeded!
Smucker’s Jam
Spreading Smucker’s Jam on a piece of toast is a delicious meal to make at breakfast time. Smucker’s Jam was named after a farmer named Jerome M. Smucker. He founded the J. M. Smucker Company back in 1897 with 30 different products for sale. Their jam is obviously incredibly popular, but they also sold baked goods, coffee, and peanut butter at the beginning.
Granny Smith’s Apples
Whenever you see a green apple, the name “Granny Smith” might instantly come to mind. Green apples are typically thought of as sour since they’re never as sweet as red or yellow apples. They’re named after a woman name Maria Anne Smith who was alive in the 1800s working as an orchardist in Australia.
Dannon Yogurt
Yogurt is considered one of the healthier breakfast options a person can have. Dannon Yogurt was named after a man named Daniel Carasso who went by Dannon as a nickname when he was younger. His father, Isaac Carasso, is the man who founded the Dannon Company in 1919 while he was living in Spain.
Cobb Salad
Robert Howard Cobb is the reason Cobb salads have their name today. He owned a restaurant at the Hollywood Brown Derby back in 1938. The Cobb salad he served quickly became the signature dish at the establishment based on its delicious combination of ingredients. Typical Cobb salads include leafy greens, avocado, hard-boiled eggs, bacon, blue cheese, and tomatoes.
Beef Stroganoff
Beef Stroganoff is a delicious dish to chow down on when you have a big appetite. It calls for several strips of fillet steak covered in paprika sauce, mushrooms, and cream. If you’re curious to know where the name comes from, simply think about Count Alexander Grigorievich Stroganoff. He was a well-known man with a title of nobility who lived in the late 19th century in Odessa.
Caesar Salad
An Italian immigrant named Caesar Cardini is the person who created the Caesar salad. Rumors have circulated that a colleague who worked alongside him at the Hotel Caesar in Tijuana, Mexico was actually the person who came up with the recipe. It’s a mystery for now, but we do know that a perfect Caesar salad consists of leafy greens, parmesan cheese, croutons, and dressing.
Heinz Ketchup
Plenty of people love dipping their French fries, chicken strips, and other dip-worthy foods into Heinz Ketchup. It’s one of the most popular ketchup brands in the world for a reason. A Pittsburgh native named Henry J. Heinz launched his career in the food industry during the 1860s. By 1896, the Heinz brand was offering 57 different products to be sold — including ketchup.
Clementines
How exactly did clementines get their name? After all, their appearance and taste is similar to an orange. It turns out that clementines got their name from a monk named Pere Clement Rodier. Near the end of the 19th century, he resided in Algeria. It was there that he catered to an orchard where clementines were first planted and grown.
Beef Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, is the man who inspired Beef Wellington’s name. Wellesley was a fierce fighter who led British forces into a winning position against Napoleon and his army. Contrarily, a cook named Clarissa Dickson Wright tried to argue that Beef Wellington has different origins before she passed away. She made the claim that Beef Wellington was served in Wellington, New Zealand as part of a civic reception for the first time ever.
Oysters Rockefeller
Oysters will always be considered one of the most popular forms of seafood a person can order at a restaurant. Oysters Rockefeller is special dish in its own right, though. This is because it consists of a plate of oysters covered in herb sauce. Oysters Rockefeller is named after John D. Rockefeller who was known for his extreme wealth while he was alive in the late 1800s
Kellogg’s Cornflakes
Even though it seems there’s an unlimited number of cereal flavors and brands to choose at a grocery store, Kellogg’s Cornflakes have always held up against the test of time. They were first introduced to the world in 1906 thanks to the Battle Creek Twisted Cornflake Company. The company was later renamed to the Kellogg Company in 1922. W. K. Kellogg and Dr. John Harvey Kellogg are the two brothers who inspired the name of the company and cereal.
Bananas Foster
There are plenty of banana-centered desserts you can order when you’ve got a sweet tooth. Bananas Foster, in particular, is made with cooked banana slices, walnuts, buttery rum sauce, and vanilla ice cream. This sweet concoction was named after Richard Foster.
He was a business leader who was close friends with a man named Owen Brennan. Brennan was the owner of a restaurant that first put Bananas Foster on the menu. Bananas Foster is a sweet treat full of sugar, but that’s never been a secret. (Click here for 21 foods people used to think were healthy.)