Ever wonder what was on the dinner table before the days of fast food and meal kits? Your grandparents had a roster of go-to dishes that might seem odd now but were all the rage back then. It's time to rediscover these old-school foods and the stories they carry.
AUTHOR: Gabrielle Reeder
Table of Contents
- 1. Ambrosia Salad
- 2. Aspic
- 3. Carob
- 4. Flying Jacob
- 5. Bologna Cake
- 6. Pistachio Delight/ Watergate Salad
- 7. Apricot Chicken
- 8. Prawn Cocktail
- 9. Southern Pear Salad
- 10. Pineapple Cheese Ball
- 12 Dishes from the '60s and '70s That Vanished from History
- 12 American Foods That People From Other Places Can’t Stomach
- 10 High Protein Meals For Quick Weight Loss
1. Ambrosia Salad
You can find ambrosia salad dispersed in random places in the grocer, but it looks like no one ever picks up the plastic casing of fruit mashed with marshmallows, maraschino cherries, and coconut. Southern residents say the dish is popular at family events and special occasions.
2. Aspic
"Aspic was also a way to preserve meat as the aspic made it an anaerobic environment. Then the culinary industrial revolution hit in the '50s, and people were excited because all the things that made it difficult were ready-made, and they also had refrigeration. Honestly, I'm surprised it wasn't more popular well into the '90s," a commenter states.
3. Carob
Many users recall the "carob as a chocolate replacement" era, although everyone who has consumed carob knows it doesn't taste like chocolate. "I actually really like carob and make a lovely carob cake, but chocolate it is not. It's gone way out of fashion now, and I struggle to buy carob bars and powder. I think more people would like it if it wasn't marketed as chocolate. If you expect to taste something but taste something different, it's often repulsive," someone who enjoys carob and chocolate writes.
4. Flying Jacob
Flying Jacob comes from Sweden and is a casserole stuffed with chicken, cream, chili sauce, bananas, roasted peanuts, and bacon and served with rice and salad. Ove Jacobsson maintained a profession within the airfreight industry, which inspired the dish's name. Several individuals favor the weird combination of ingredients thrown into the casserole and continue to cook the dish yearly.
5. Bologna Cake
Bologna cake is a southern dish that originated as a joke but found its fans. All you need is to layer several pieces of bologna with slobs of cream cheese until you form a high-structured cake. Recipes may call for Ritz crackers, cheese whiz, Italian dressing, or onions to decorate the treat.
6. Pistachio Delight/ Watergate Salad
"Watergate salad. There was an unsubstantiated rumor the sous chef at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., developed the recipe. It emerged around the time of the Watergate scandal involving the Nixon administration. It uses pistachio pudding mix, walnuts, marshmallows, pineapple, whipped topping, and sometimes sweetened shredded coconut," a forum member adds.
7. Apricot Chicken
This food critic abhors apricot chicken, a simple recipe from Australia in the 1970s. All you need for this meal is chicken thighs, French onion soup mix, flour, and apricot nectar. Mix the soup mix, flour, and nectar together, submerge the chicken, and simmer.
8. Prawn Cocktail
If you're sensitive to spice and sauce, prawn cocktails are not for you. The seafood dish originated in the 1960s in Great Britain. It may use any or all of the following: ketchup, clam juice, lime juice, hot sauce, horseradish, Worcester sauce for the dip, and tomatoes, onions, celery, avocado, and cilantro to season the shrimp.
9. Southern Pear Salad
The South specializes in combining ingredients for eclectic tastes. Southern pear salad asks for halved pears topped with a spoonful of mayonnaise, a sprinkle of cheddar cheese, and a maraschino cherry for decoration.
10. Pineapple Cheese Ball
Families put out their favorite dishes at Christmas parties, hoping guests indulge in delicious food. Pineapple cheese balls consist of cream cheese, green peppers, onion, pineapple, and pecans rolled into a circle. Enjoy with a spoon or on crackers.
Source: Reddit.
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