If you’re planning a trip to Washington D.C. there are a few places you simply must see. If you’re a history buff you can visit Ford’s Theatre (and maybe catch a glimpse of Lincoln’s ghost) or dine at Martin’s Tavern in Georgetown where John F. Kennedy Jr. proposed to Jackie. But if historical scandals are your thing you have to stop by the infamous (and luxurious) Watergate Hotel—just don’t ask for a bowl of the Watergate Salad. Although the salad bears the moniker of the landmark hotel the establishment does not—and never has—sold the creamy green dessert. And no the salad also has nothing to do with the 1970s political scandal involving former President Richard Nixon. So how did Watergate Salad get its name?
| Channel | Publish Date | Thumbnail & View Count | Actions |
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 Inside Edition | 2023-12-21 14:04:30 |  68,257 Views |
What's in Watergate Salad?
You wouldn’t be entirely wrong to think that the Watergate Salad got its name from the hotel. The Waldorf Salad for example takes its name from the hotel it’s from. And the Watergate Salad does indeed have a strong mid-century vibe reminiscent of the hotel that first opened in the 1960s. After all what could be more mid-century than a salad made with pudding mix mini marshmallows whipped cream and pineapple? The connection between these two 20th century icons is more bogus than fact however and the history behind the Watergate Salad is as murky as the Potomac River on which the Watergate Hotel is located. To understand the roots of the green stuff and its scandalous name it’s important to first look at the 1970s food scene and Kraft Foods’ push for pistachio pudding.
Now let’s delve deeper into the culinary origins of the Watergate salad. Watergate salad falls under the general umbrella of Jell-O salads as the pistachio pudding used to make the dish is made by the Jell-O company (owned by the company now known as Kraft Heinz). Now the stuff of jokes and jabs Jell-O (or gelatin) salads were once a staple of American cuisine. These dishes which combine instant gelatin or pudding mix with various ingredients to create both sweet and savory dishes became extremely popular in the United States in the latter half of the 20th century. They were both convenient and easy to prepare making them staples in households where women were increasingly taking on more work both inside and outside the home.
In the 1950s cookbooks flooded the market with recipes for Jell-O salads some of which originated from Kraft Heinz itself. And often these recipes combined multiple products made by the same company. Watergate salad is one such case though you won't find the dish under that name in any vintage cookbook. Kraft first introduced the dish under the name "pineapple pistachio delight" in 1976 the same year the company introduced its pistachio pudding mix. And Kraft would continue to use that name for the recipe until 1993 when it officially changed the name to Watergate salad. The recipe echoes similar pistachio pudding recipes that were already circulating at the time but Kraft's recipe quickly became popular among home cooks thanks to its fluffy texture and sweet flavor.
