I’ve read somewhere once that serving jello was a flex, because it meant you were wealthy enough to own a refrigerator. I don’t know if it’s true, but I choose to believe it because there has to be a reason for serving hot dogs in jello.
The hot dogs in jello thing sounds like a bastardized version of some actual foods from way back. I know the dish as “sült”, but I’m sure it exists in many forms. It’s basically made by boiling bones (think the ones with all the nooks and crannies, like the skull) until all the meat and gelatin come out. Then cool until it solidifies.
Growing up in the US midwest, ‘bastardized version of actual food’ describes a lot of what I grew up with. Common substitutes: cream of mushroom soup for bechamel; mayonnaise for creme fraiche; hot dogs for literally any sausage or charcuterie; thyme for any herb.
I’ve read somewhere once that serving jello was a flex, because it meant you were wealthy enough to own a refrigerator. I don’t know if it’s true, but I choose to believe it because there has to be a reason for serving hot dogs in jello.
IIRC it wasn’t the fridge, it was the gelatin.
They came up with a much cheaper way of making it, so for a while jelly was cheap and readily available but people still thought of it as fancy food.
I also choose to believe this
The hot dogs in jello thing sounds like a bastardized version of some actual foods from way back. I know the dish as “sült”, but I’m sure it exists in many forms. It’s basically made by boiling bones (think the ones with all the nooks and crannies, like the skull) until all the meat and gelatin come out. Then cool until it solidifies.
Growing up in the US midwest, ‘bastardized version of actual food’ describes a lot of what I grew up with. Common substitutes: cream of mushroom soup for bechamel; mayonnaise for creme fraiche; hot dogs for literally any sausage or charcuterie; thyme for any herb.
You’re talking about aspic
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspic
Which people have been making and still do make all over the world.
Aka head cheese
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_cheese