This Popular Food Was Once a High Society Delicacy

We love it as children, we love it when we have an upset stomach, and for many, it's even a fun shot to swallow down at parties and bars.

It comes in lots of colors and flavors, all jiggly and wiggly, and is beyond inexpensive. You can buy it in mini-containers or make it at home alone with water.

Jell-O has a reputation for being that perfectly affordable and fun treat. We eat it alone, with fruit floating inside, and even whipped cream on top.

However, at one time, it was only the wealthy that could afford its main ingrediant.

According to the Interesting Facts website, gelatin, which is the key ingredient in Jell-O, wasn't affordable for the masses; rather, it was the elite who bought it. It all had to do with supply and demand.

Since gelatin was so hard to come by, it symbolized wealth and social standing. Before Jell-O, gelatin was actually used to preserve meats and make jellies. Extracting gelatin was incredibly time-consuming, so making it took a kitchen staff. Days were spent boiling animal bones and byproducts to create the liquid that would eventually set into a gelatinous state.

Decades later, in 1845, according to the Gizmodo website, American inventor Peter Cooper, who designed the first American steam locomotive, created a portable gelatin that simply took hot water.

Cooper’s creation was eventually sold to a New York cough syrup manufacturer, who added fruit flavors and branded it with its Jell-O name in 1897. By the early 20th century, Jell-O ads promoted the dessert as a low-cost, high-society wonder.

It was during the Great Depression and World War II when Jell-O's versatility became budget-friendly and here we are today.