NEW YORK — Pancetta and panir, coriander and chickpeas, fried calamari and yuzu juice. Given the ingredients that get tossed into Caesar salad these days, it's likely that Caesar Cardini — the chef who's said to have invented the dish in Tijuana, Mexico, in 1924 — wouldn't even recognize the classic creation that's named for him.

At its most traditional, Caesar salad includes romaine lettuce, Parmesan cheese, croutons, a coddled egg and anchovies. Lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce flavor the dressing. Years ago, tossed at tableside in "Continental" restaurants, it was often billed on the menu as a dish for two and thus had romantic overtones.

EMAIL THIS PRINT THIS MOST POPULAR
Related: • Caesar salad recipes • More food columns and recipes

Out for a dinner date, couples would order one to split, then sit mesmerized as the chef wheeled a cart to their table and proceeded to make the salad in front of them, mashing the egg and anchovies for the dressing, pouring on a thin stream of oil. The whole affair was tossed with much pomp and ceremony, then forked onto plates and topped with a grind of black pepper.

The first change occurred recently, as concerns over salmonella grew and the coddled egg was removed from many dressings. Next, capitalizing on the salad's popularity as an entree, chefs started making Caesar salads with grilled shrimp or chicken. In supermarkets, Caesar salad began appearing in bags in the produce section, with the various components (greens, Parmesan, dressing, croutons) all packaged separately.

But to see the creative license that chefs here have taken with this 80-year-old dish, visit a restaurant like '21.' There, executive chef Erik Blauberg offers a couple of Caesars. In one, dandelion greens are used in place of romaine, the croutons are made of watermelon, and caviar takes the place of anchovies. The other salad is a best seller: It's a traditional Caesar salad made with only the heart of the romaine, and it's a beauty.

"We can either toss it at the table or do it in the kitchen," Blauberg says. "If a customer says they don't want the egg or the anchovies, I do it at the table. I use a little extra mustard in place of the egg yolk, because this holds the dressing together and coats the lettuce leaves."

Other chefs have veered off the classic course with decidedly untraditional ingredients. At brunch at Town, executive chef John Johnson tosses a warm Caesar salad with pancetta (Italian bacon) and an interesting dressing prepared with white anchovies. And Indian accents characterize the version at Taj, which includes fried chickpeas and the fresh, unripened cheese, called panir, that is an ingredient in many Indian dishes.

Of course, not every Caesar these days needs croutons, and, in fact, the one at Jean-Luc, created by executive chef Julio Quisbert, is breadless. One of the partners didn't like croutons, so the version here is named after him; it gets its crunch from fried calamari.

Such variations aside, a Caesar salad is only as good as its croutons, so don't settle for those tasteless, boring bread cubes that resemble prepackaged stuffing mix. Cut day-old Italian bread into fairly large cubes — about 3/4 inch, recommends Blauberg. Bake in a 225-degree oven for 45 minutes or until crisp. If you like, toss with fresh herbs or cheese; a good Parmigiano-Reggiano is always welcome.

All in all, this is one salad that is more than the sum of its parts!