Jell-O salad is high on the list of the most controversial foods in America. Those who grew up on it, and those who are not disgusted by the very idea.
As a now proud New Yorker who lived the first 22 years of his life in the Midwest, I often grew up eating this dish. He made regular appearances at the family dinner table, and there was always at least one at each church dinner, a potluck or an extensive family gathering that I attended. I would dare to say, I really enjoyed.
I do not eat any more of jel-o salad, but I certainly do not hit the nose of disgust or do not laugh like some of my compatriots East Coastters. And while five years ago, I would have dodged my head and avoided the subject, recently, I felt obliged to speak and defend it. So here it is: five things you should know about one of the most ill-understood dishes, according to a proud ex -midwesterner.
It’s not really salad
Of course, it is a lot of different things launched in a bowl, but the resemblance to a salad ends there. A jel-o salad is generally more sweet than salty, and, although some have fruits or even cut vegetables inside them, they absolutely do not try to be healthy.
So why, you wonder, is it called the “Jelll-O salad”? It is a fusion between the two dishes: simply imagine that a bowl of gelatin disguised as a bowl of green vegetables for Halloween. The result is a kind of hybrid that is exactly like any dish in its original shape.
It is not a dessert either
Although it is definitely not salty, the Jell-O salad is not a dessert either. It is an accompanying dish, and it belongs to the table right next to the lasagna And the sautéed green beans. Okay, so he has a sweet flavor profile, but a little sweetness has never stopped Sweet potato pan or the corn pudding to sit next to the turkey in Thanksgiving. Why should he prohibit fun and colorful gelatin from being on the dinner of the week?
We still have to convince? Consider it as a palate cleaner, a light and cool element to taste in small bites between all other savory foods. Victorians ate the sorbet in the middle of the dinners with several dishes; Jell-O is not so far.
It is the ultimate pleasure of the crowd with low efforts and a strong reward
From the Midwest to the coast, everyone is looking for recipes that are with a strong reward with relatively little effort. And in communities where to bring a dish to a potluck or a community event at least once a month is the standard, the Jell-O salad is an absolute lifeline. Made with relatively few ingredients (many of which are purchased in store), it can be mixed and cooled in the same bowl in which it is served. Few dishes? Check. Easy to do and transport? Check. It is not surprising that there are at least two or three bowls of stuff with each meal-show.
They are not all lemon green jel-o with cottage cheese
The Watergate salad and the Mandarin orange toys can be well known, but it is only a scratch on the surface of the vast universe of Jell-O salad. I can name at least 10 different types that I ate regularly as I grow up, ranging from ordinary strawberry gelatin with fresh bananas to my aunt Stephanie Technicolor Stunner of 7 layers to my grandmother Strawberry Bretzel salad, which honestly looked like a dessert lasagna. And it’s just in my little corner of the northeast of Indiana. Travel to any other part of the Midwest, and you will find completely different varieties, each with a completely different texture and flavor profile.
You should give them a second chance. (And perhaps a third and fourth)
Just because you’ve tried a Jelll-O salad and you weren’t a fan, that doesn’t mean you should hate them all. It’s like proclaiming that you hate all the soup because the split pea is not your thing.
I do not ask someone to drop their anti -position – but if you have not tried more than one type in your life, it could be worth exploring a few additional salads before deciding that it is a strange thing that no lover of food that respected itself should eat. The next time you are tempted to offend your nose at the right time, take a second glance and think about it. Isn’t this cranberry mold as a jel-o Candberry salad, well? Might not be so strange after all.
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