One ingredient that was commonly used in these dishes was gelatin. This was due primarily to three reasons.
- Status – Gelatin requires refrigeration to set, and refrigeration was expensive still at the time. By making gelatin dishes, people were able to show off their wealth to their neighbors.
- Social norms – People at the time accepted that this was normal, for so many cookbooks featured gelatin in their dishes.
- Efficiency – Gelatin was a very clean, economical food to make, making it desirable to cook and bring to others.
The traditional values of the time was seen throughout daily life, including the food of the time. Do we see this reflection of modern values in our food today?
Sources:
http://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/why-were-there-so-many-gelatin-based-dishes-50s-and-60s
http://www.bonappetit.com/restaurants-travel/article/weird-food-trends-through-the-decades
I really enjoyed reading this post. I especially liked why the people use gelatin so much in their food, and I think that we definitely see ingredients that are used today in abundance for the same reasons. I can see why food affected the people's lifestyle to food being more efficient, delicious and appealing to all.
ReplyDeleteCool post! I never thought about how a society's values would manifest itself in food. I also thought it was interesting how gelatin's popularity was in part due to its efficiency to make, and this reminded me of the TV dinner and how it became popular due to its ease of use. I also wonder if the highway system contributed to the society's desire for efficiency.
ReplyDeleteFor more information on TV dinners:
http://www.mortaljourney.com/2010/11/1950-trends/tv-dinners
I didn't know gelatin became so popular in the 50's. I think it's interesting that social status was important enough at the time that a food that was very expensive became common. In my opinion, it contrasts with, rather than resembles the TV dinner, which was popular due to its simplicity and ease of use. From what I researched, the mass production of gelatin powder is what made it so popular in household recipes.
ReplyDeleteOne source I looked at listed deviled eggs, baked alaska, tuna noddle casserole, frozen dinners, and meatloaf as the top foods of the era. Apart from TV dinners, the foods on this list require a lot of preparation time. This makes sense because of three factors: 1. a women's job in the 1950s was subservient to the family, so they had time to labor over a hot stove. 2. The suburban norms that you mentioned above: potlucks and dinner parties were becoming increasingly popular. 3. The microwave was not invented yet. In the future, quick, processed food would become even more popular, with the decline of foods with long preparation times. To learn more, go to this source: http://www.houstonpress.com/restaurants/top-five-1950s-foods-6434068
ReplyDelete