Yeah, meats in gelatine are…hm…not the greatest aspect of Eastern European food culture (though to be fair there are worse things you could eat…these gelatine dishes just tend to be somewhat bland). But you know this isn’t exclusive to Slavic cuisine. In the mid 20th century all sorts of gelatine dishes were fairly popular in the US and Western Europe as well.
Easy access to gelatin and refrigeration was kind of new in the 50s.
It was partially a ploy by refrigeration companies to make the common ownership of newly-available refrigerators obvious and a point of pride/envy in suburban households.
It’s the point where they stopped to be that, although the ice accumulated inside quickly so you could end with solid block of ice inside, and you had to defrost them often to prevent it.
Yeah, meats in gelatine are…hm…not the greatest aspect of Eastern European food culture (though to be fair there are worse things you could eat…these gelatine dishes just tend to be somewhat bland). But you know this isn’t exclusive to Slavic cuisine. In the mid 20th century all sorts of gelatine dishes were fairly popular in the US and Western Europe as well.
I think it was popular for a while simply for the novelty. Easy access to gelatin and refrigeration was kind of new in the 50s.
Then people got over it because the novelty wore off, and without that it’s just a bland cold food.
I have no idea what could explain the continued popularity in Eastern Europe.
It was partially a ploy by refrigeration companies to make the common ownership of newly-available refrigerators obvious and a point of pride/envy in suburban households.
weren’t they like a massive block of ice in a room back then
It’s the point where they stopped to be that, although the ice accumulated inside quickly so you could end with solid block of ice inside, and you had to defrost them often to prevent it.
The only true way to prepare those dishes is without (added) gelatin, only boiling the bones and cartilage until collagen dissolves.
It is vaguely similar to jellied eels in concept, by the way.
I heard the Mormons are still into jello dishes.