National Green Goddess Day

Green Goddess dressing is a testament to how the theatre can influence cuisine. In the 1920s San Francisco’s Palace Hotel hosted the actor George Arliss, who was starring in the play The Green Goddess. To honour him, the hotel’s chef, Philip Roemer, created a dressing as vibrant as the title. He blended mayonnaise with fresh herbs—parsley, tarragon and chives—along with anchovies, vinegar and a splash of Worcestershire sauce to achieve a creamy, savoury sauce that paired beautifully with crisp salads and seafood. The dressing became wildly popular on the West Coast through the 1930s. Over time, variations added sour cream, avocado or lemon juice, and home cooks embraced the recipe after it appeared in the 1948 edition of The Joy of Cooking. After a mid‑century lull, Green Goddess experienced a renaissance in the 1990s as chefs rediscovered its verdant flavour. National Green Goddess Day is a chance to make the dressing from scratch. Chop handfuls of herbs, mash a fillet of anchovy into a paste, whisk with mayonnaise, a squeeze of lemon and a splash of white wine vinegar. Blend until smooth and flecked with green. Drizzle it over bibb lettuce and radishes, dollop it onto grilled salmon or use it as a dip for crudités. Each bite tastes of gardens and sea breezes. The holiday encourages us to revive a nearly forgotten classic and appreciate how a simple sauce can tie together a meal—and a moment in cultural history.