According to a 1926 Jell-O advertisement, Jell-O is the most famous American dessert. Really? Was that an accurate statement a hundred years ago? . . . or was it the aspirations of a company advertising a product?
I think that the old ad was referring to the U.S. when the it said “America,” but I’m not sure. Maybe it meant North America or all of the Americas.
Based on an informal survey of two people – my husband and myself – the most famous dessert in the U.S. is apple pie. Of course, it could have been something different a hundred years ago (Jell-O????).
I’m sure they were not referring to the Americas. Also sure jello has never been the most famous desert of the USA. At least I hope not!!
My guess is that you’re right about apple pie –as American as–, but I associate Jello with my paternal grandmother. She always had a bowl of Jello in her fridge. We ate a lot of it in our house, too. I seem to recall that when I was younger, if my mother hadn’t baked, we would have Jello for dessert.
I think Jell-O is an easy and quick dessert, and easier to make than apple pie. It is probably made more often. One item on my bucket list is to visit the Museum of Jell-O in LeRoy, NY, the birthplace of Jell-O.