Dec 12: TRAIL: Mormons and Jell-O
Many of those who read my Thanksgiving post had questions about the odd relationship that exists between the king of gelatin, Jell-O, and Mormons. So, to better illuminate this strange culture quirk, I've compiled the following trail. Sadly, I wasn't able to find much history like how it started, why it became so popular, etc.
The United Plates of America
Utahns may remember comedian Bill Cosby's visit in 2001, to lobby legislators to make Jell-O Utah's official snack. In 1997, Jell-O officials confirmed that Utah had the highest per-capita consumption of fruit-flavored gelatin in the country. When Utah's Jell-O sales slipped and Iowa took over that distinction in 1999, it sparked a local campaign (with a lot of support from the Jell-O folks) to "Take Back the Title," recounted in past Deseret Morning News articles. After Utah was once again on top of the heap, the legislature humored Jell-O spokesman Cosby and passed a resolution recognizing the jiggly dessert.
Wikipedia entry for Jell-O
Jell-O is the official state snack food of Utah, which is reported to have the highest per capita sales of green gelatin dessert of any US state. Over-fondness of Jell-O is often considered a cliché trait of Mormons even in other areas.
Wikipedia entry for Jell-O Belt
The Jello Belt is a colloquial term in American English that refers to the parts of the Western United States with large populations of "Mormons" (properly called Latter-Day Saints).
Desert dessert? Jell-O seeks to mold Utah opinion
In fact, the Salt Lake Olympic Committee designed and issued pins for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games featuring a bowl of the quivering green food. They quickly sold out and remain collector's items.
Note: Typically, Jell-O is considered a desert. In Mormon culture, however, it is often considered a salad. The next entry is an example of this. Lagoon is a (the?) amusement park in Utah.
Lagoon Salad List
Potato Salad
Pistachio Salad
Baked Beans (Groups of 1000 & under)
BBQ Beans
Frosted Jello
Pasta Salad
Utah's Famous Green Jell-O
1 cup water
1 package (6 ounces) lime Jell-O
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (optional)
1 cup canned crushed pineapple, undrained
2 cups whipping cream
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