They make it that way up in Minnesota, at least the stuff one gets from the grocery stores. I never had chicken salad with fruits and/ or nuts in it until I moved to Minnesota.
It seems to be the "gourmet" way these days. Don't know if it started in the south or maybe out in California where there are lots of fruits and nuts (

).
If I want fruit with my chicken salad, I want it next to it on the plate or in a bowl. Not mixed in it. Nuts belong in apple (Waldorf) salad, not chicken!
I didn't know people messed with Waldorf salad so much either, until my step-mother entered my life. My mother made it real simple....crispy hard apples, pecans, celery, raisins and mayo. My step-mother's mother came over to Council Bluffs Iowa from Denmark....she added red and green grapes, marshmallows, and BANANAS to it!!! The grapes were ok, the marshmallows were tolerable. The BANANAS were just WRONG!!!!! Leftovers looked so gross!!!
