In French, the term ‘cordon bleu’ means ‘blue ribbon’ and is rooted in the special order of French knights. Henry III of France commanded that the highest order of knighthood be marked with a blue ribbon, in 1578. Since then, the term has been used to describe high quality food prepared by excellent cooks. It is believed that chicken cordon bleu was derived from the dish veal kiev. Veak kiev, which consists of veal dredged in breadcrumbs and fried, was born in Paris in the late 1840s. Later, Moscow adapted the dish and substituted veal with chicken. The dish, similar to a chicken schnitzel, was first mentioned in a cookbook in 1949 in Switzerland. Veal cordon bleu was recorded in print in 1955 in the US, while chicken cordon bleu only made an appearance in 1967. Contrary to popular perception, chicken cordon bleu has no connection with the culinary institute Le Cordon Bleu.
