# What is in a "TRUE" Waldorf Salad? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 15, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324 "2003-05-15T01:20:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/1 "2003-05-15T01:20:17Z")
I looked up the receipe on the net but other than Celery and Apples and Mayo I see everyone seems to add their own twist to it. What was the “REAL” receipe? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/2 "2003-05-15T01:36:39Z")
[History of the Waldorf Salad](http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/Waldorf_Salad.htm) Apparently in the beginning it was only apples, celery and mayo on a bed of lettuce. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/3 "2003-05-15T01:38:47Z")
Everything I know about Waldorf Salads I learned from a Fawlty Towers episode. That they’re **celery, apples, walnuts & grapes in mayonaise** and that they’re NOT named for a walnut that’s gone off, but for the NYC hotel… ---
**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/4 "2003-05-15T01:49:50Z")
for those who hate mayo, it makes me ill kinda like lacto intolerance ill, but used to love Waldorf’s as a kid, what can I use as fake-mayo and doesn’t have dairy? ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/5 "2003-05-15T02:18:10Z")
Mayo doesn’t have dairy. It’s eggs and oil with maybe some vinegar and probably some preservatives and/or stabilizers, but no dairy. ---
**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/6 "2003-05-15T02:27:54Z")
That’s why I said like lacto intolerance…I guess the abuse of the word like has made it vanish… ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/7 "2003-05-15T02:48:20Z")
There’s a non-dairy soy-based mayo substitute called [“Nayonaise”](http://www.nasoya.com/nasoya/dressing_nayo.html) (I’m just the reporter; I didn’t name it). It doesn’t exactly taste like mayonnaise, and I don’t think I’d suggest it to a connoisseur, but it’s got the right texture for recipes. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/8 "2003-05-15T03:15:28Z")
receipe threads belong in Cafe Society now. I’ll move this to Cafe Society for you. Off to Cafe Society **DrMatrix** - GQ Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/9 "2003-05-15T03:31:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hail Ants \* > \*\*Everything I know about Waldorf Salads I learned from a Fawlty Towers episode. That they’re **celery, apples, walnuts & grapes in mayonaise** and that they’re NOT named for a walnut that’s gone off, but for the NYC hotel… \*\* _sputters_ That episode was on tonight. “You’re all too busy sticking your noses into every corner, poking around for things to complain about, aren’t you? Well let me tell you something! This is exactly how Nazi Germany started! A lot of layabouts with nothing better to do than to cause trouble!” The Germans is still my favorite episode though. [On Topic] And mayo is nasty. [/On Topic] ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/10 "2003-05-15T07:36:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by InternetLegend \* > \*\*There’s a non-dairy soy-based mayo substitute called [“Nayonaise”](http://www.nasoya.com/nasoya/dressing_nayo.html) (I’m just the reporter; I didn’t name it). It doesn’t exactly taste like mayonnaise, and I don’t think I’d suggest it to a connoisseur, but it’s got the right texture for recipes. \*\* As has already been pointed out, Mayonaise does not have any diary products in it. The product you mention is low in calories, that’s all. And BTW, mayonaise was named after the town of Mahon, in Menorca, Spain. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/11 "2003-05-15T11:52:48Z")
Celery is an abomination unto the Lord. It should NOT be in Wladorf salad. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/12 "2003-05-15T12:02:22Z")
I like it with walnuts, even if they’re not part of the original. They add a little chewiness to the crunch thing. (BTW, chicken salad with grapes and walnuts kicks ass.) ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/13 "2003-05-15T13:01:40Z")
Oddly enough, I have my grandmother’s food dictionary right here at my desk (c1920—the dictionary, not the desk). “Waldorf Salad” is described as “celery, apples, nuts, whipped cream and mayonnaise.” Yuck. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/14 "2003-05-15T13:52:41Z")
“celery, apples, nuts, whipped cream and mayonnaise.” Real whipped cream isn’t sweet like Cool-Whip, Redi-Whip or any of those abominations. Its flavor does blend nicely with the mayonnaise. Every recipe for a Waldorf Salad I’ve ever seen called for celery, apples, mayonnaise, and whipped cream. Some called for the nuts and grapes or other things, but some didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/15 "2003-05-15T16:44:51Z")
Walnuts make my tongue swell up, but I always used to eat my mom’s Waldorf salad just to be polite. But she never put grapes in it. Raisins. That’s the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/16 "2003-05-15T18:44:41Z")
My personal role model in life is Basil Fawlty, so as far as I’m concerned it is and always will be “Celery! Apples! Walnuts! Grapes! In mayonnaise!”. But you have to shout it and disappear through some swing doors before pretending to have an argument with yourself. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/17 "2003-05-15T20:14:53Z")
Aargh! The last time I took the Jeopardy! test I missed advancing to the next stage by one question: “What salad is made with apples, celery, walnuts, grapes, and mayonaise?” I had never heard of the nasty stuff, and now it will never pass my lips. Aarrgh! ---
**Author:** ![Edwardina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Edwardina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edwardina)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/18 "2003-05-15T20:56:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spooje \* > \*\*Celery is an abomination unto the Lord. > > It should NOT be in Wladorf salad. \*\* What about in W **al** dorf salad? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Slindorff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Slindorff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slindorff)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/19 "2003-05-15T21:25:13Z")
Waldorf Salad was one of my grandmother’s mainstay dishes. Her version was: diced green apples a little diced celery walnuts a little lemon juice mixed into the mayo This thread is really making me miss her…and her Waldorff Salad. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-in-a-true-waldorf-salad/175324/20 "2003-05-15T22:59:50Z")
What does it say about us that half the people in this thread instantly thought of Fawlty Towers? I did too. And a “screwdriver” is vodka and orange juice. Good to know. Everything I know, I learned from television.