Jell-O 16585 226166807 2008-07-17T03:17:37Z 69.149.15.202 /* Description */ [[Image:Day 18 - Still Eating The Green Jello (gifrancis).jpg|thumb|220px|Green Jell-O]] '''Jell-O''' is a [[brand name]] belonging to [[United States|USA]]-based [[Kraft Foods]] for a number of [[gelatin dessert]]s, including fruit gels, [[pudding]]s and no-bake [[cream pie]]s. The brand's popularity has led to its becoming a [[genericized trademark|generic term]] for [[gelatin dessert]] across the US and [[Canada]]. Because of this, in the United States, packages of Jell-O are marked as Jell-O Brand.{{Fact|date=June 2008}} ==Description== Jell-O is sold prepared (ready to eat) or in powder form, and it is available in many different colors and flavors. The powder contains powdered [[gelatin]] and flavorings including [[sugar]] or [[artificial sweetener]]s and pure fat. It is dissolved in very hot [[water]], then chilled and allowed to set. Sometimes [[fruit]], [[vegetable]]s, [[whipped cream]], or other ingredients are added to make often elaborate desserts that can be molded into various shapes. Jell-O must be [[refrigerator|refrigerated]] until served, and once set properly, it is normally eaten with a [[spoon]] but sometimes with a fork. There are also non-gelatin pudding and pie filling products under the Jell-O brand: To make pudding, these are cooked on stovetop with [[milk]], then either eaten warm or chilled until more firmly set, or in the case of the “instant” line, simply mixed with cold milk and then chilled. To make pie fillings, the same products are simply prepared with less liquid. Though the word ''Jell-O'' is a name brand, it is commonly used in the [[USA]] as a generic name for all products of this kind. Jell-O would violate a vegetarian diet, because it contains gelatin, which is made from animal bone. ==History== Gelatin has been well known and used for many years. It was popularized in the [[Victorian era]] with spectacular and complex "jelly moulds". Gelatin was prepared by extracting collagen from animal parts, such as calves' feet. The parts had to be cleaned, then the protein extracted and boiled to denature it. Gelatin was sold in sheets and had to be purified, which was very time-consuming. It also made gelatin desserts the province of the relatively well-to-do. In 1845, industrialist [[Peter Cooper]] (who built the first American [[steam]]-powered [[locomotive]], the ''[[Tom Thumb (locomotive)|Tom Thumb]]''), obtained a [[patent]] (US Patent 4084) for powdered gelatin derived from the bones of [[goose|geese]].<ref>http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT4084</ref><ref>Upstate, Where It Was First Made, Unwavering Devotion to Jell-O New York Times May 4, 2008</ref> Forty years later the patent was sold to a [[Le Roy (town), New York| LeRoy, New York]]-based carpenter and cough syrup manufacturer, [[Pearle B. Wait]]. He and his wife May added [[strawberry]], [[raspberry]], [[Orange (fruit)|orange]] and [[lemon]] flavoring to the powder and gave the product its present name in 1897. Unable to successfully market their concoction, in 1899 the Waits sold the business to a neighbor, Orator Francis Woodward, for $450. Beginning in 1902, Woodward's [[Genesee Pure Food Company]] placed [[advertisement]]s in the ''[[Ladies' Home Journal]]'' proclaiming Jell-O to be "America's Most Famous Dessert." Jell-O remained a minor success until 1904, when Genesee Pure Food Company sent enormous numbers of salesman out into the field to distribute free Jell-O cookbooks, a pioneering marketing tactic at the time.<ref>[http://www.jellomuseum.com/#History Jell-O Museum | A History of Jell-O]</ref> Within a decade, three new flavors, [[chocolate]] (discontinued in 1927), [[cherry]] and [[peach]], were added, and the brand was launched in Canada. [[Celebrity]] testimonials and recipes appeared in advertisements featuring actress [[Ethel Barrymore]] and [[opera]] singer [[Ernestine Schumann-Heink]]. In 1923, the newly rechristened Jell-O Company launched [[D-Zerta]], an artificially sweetened version of Jell-O. Two years later, [[Postum]] and Genesee merged, and in 1927 Postum acquired [[Clarence Birdseye|Clarence Birdseye's]] frozen foods company to form the [[General Foods Corporation]]. By 1930, there appeared a vogue in [[American cuisine]] for [[congealed salad]]s, and the company introduced [[Lime (fruit)|lime]]-flavored Jell-O to complement the various add-ins that cooks across the USA were combining in these [[aspic]]s and salads. By the 1950s, these salads would become so popular that Jell-O responded with savory and vegetable flavors such as [[celery]], [[Italian cuisine|Italian]], mixed vegetable and seasoned [[tomato]]. These savory flavors have since been discontinued. In 1934, sponsorship from Jell-O made comedian [[Jack Benny]] the dessert's spokesperson.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20060628/ai_n16505923 A timeline set in Jell-O | Deseret News (Salt Lake City) | Find Articles at BNET.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> At this time also was introduced a [[jingle]] (created by the agency [[Young & Rubicam]]<ref>[http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/091000/bus_091000020.shtml Business - Jell-O pulls plug on longtime ad firm 09/10/00<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>) that would be familiar over the next several decades, in which the spelling "J-E-L-L-O" was (or could be) sung over a rising five-note musical theme. In 1936, chocolate returned to the Jell-O lineup, this time as an instant pudding made with milk. It proved enormously popular and over time other pudding flavors were added such as [[vanilla]], [[tapioca]], [[coconut]], [[pistachio]], [[butterscotch]], [[egg (food)|egg]] [[custard]], [[flan]] and [[rice]] pudding. New flavors continued to be added and unsuccessful ones were removed: in the 1950s and 1960s, [[apple]], [[black cherry]], [[black raspberry]], [[grape]], lemon-lime, mixed fruit, orange-[[banana]], [[pineapple]]-[[grapefruit]], [[blackberry]], strawberry-banana, tropical fruit and more intense "wild" versions of the venerable strawberry, raspberry and cherry. In 1966, the Jell-O "No-Bake" dessert line was launched, which allowed a [[cheesecake]] to be made in 15 minutes. In 1971 pre-packaged prepared pudding called Jell-O Pudding Treats were introduced. During this same period, Jell-O 1-2-3, a gelatin dessert that separated into three layers as it cooled, and Jell-O Whip 'n Chill, a [[chocolate mousse|mousse]]-style dessert, were also introduced and widely promoted; they remain available only in limited areas today. In 1964, the [[slogan]] "There's always room for Jell-O" was introduced, promoting the product as a "light dessert" that could easily be consumed even after a heavy meal. In 1974, comedian [[Bill Cosby]] became the company's pudding spokesperson, and continued to serve as the voice of Jell-O for almost thirty years. Over the course of his tenure as the mouthpiece for the company, he would hawk new products such as frozen Jell-O Pops (in both gelatin and pudding varieties); the new Sugar-Free Jell-O, which replaced D-Zerta in 1984 and was sweetened with [[NutraSweet]]; Jell-O Jigglers concentrated [[gummi]] snacks; and Sparkling Jell-O, a carbonated version of the dessert touted as the "Champagne of Jell-O." <!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:JelloUtah.jpg|right]] --> In 1989, General Foods was merged into Kraft Foods by parent company [[Phillip Morris]] (now the Altria Group). New flavors were continually introduced: [[watermelon]], [[blueberry]], [[cranberry]], [[margarita]] and [[piña colada]] among others. In 2001, Green Jell-O was declared the [[List of Utah state symbols|"Official State Snack"]] of [[Utah]], with [[Governor of Utah|Governor]] [[Michael O. Leavitt]] declaring an annual "Jell-O Week." [[As of 2008]], there are more than 158 products sold under the Jell-O brand name and about 300 million boxes of Jell-O gelatin sold in the United States each year, Jell-O is also used as a substantial ingredient in a well-known dessert, the preparation of which requires a mold designed to hold Jell-O, and the depositing of small quantities of chopped fruit into the Jell-O before it hardens and takes on its typical form. Note that fresh pineapple, papaya, kiwi, and ginger root cannot be used, since they contain enzymes which prevent the gelatin from "setting." ==Jell-O shots== A popular alternative recipe calls for the addition of an [[alcoholic beverage]] to the mix, contributing approximately one third of the liquid added after the gelatin has been dissolved in the boil. A serving of the resulting mixture is called a "Jell-O shot". The quantity and timing of the addition of the alcohol are vital aspects; it is not possible to make Jell-O shots with pure alcohol: {{quotation|Dry gelatin is composed of colloidal proteins. These proteins form chains that require hot water to [[denature]] them, so that they can then reform as a semisolid colloidal suspension incorporating the added water. Pure alcohol cannot be heated (without evaporation) enough to initially break down the proteins.<ref>[http://www.myscienceproject.org/j-shot.html My Science Project - What is the Ultimate Jell-O® Shot?].</ref>}} ==Manufacturing and Tourism== [[As of 2008]], LeRoy, New York, is still known as the home of Jell-O and has the only Jell-O Museum in the world located on the main road through the small town. Jell-O was manufactured here until General Foods closed the plant in 1964 and relocated manufacturing to [[Dover, Delaware]].<ref>Upstate, Where It Was First Made, Unwavering Devotion to Jell-O New York Times May 4, 2008</ref> At the museum, visitors can learn about the history of the dessert from its inception. Visitors, starting on East Main Street, follow Jell-O Brick Road, whose stones are inscribed with the names of former factory employees. The museum offers looks at starting materials for Jell-O, such as sturgeon's bladder and calve's hoofs, and various molds. ==Current flavors of Jell-O desserts== === Gelatin === {{col-begin}} {{col-break}} * [[Apricot]] * [[Berry Blue]] * [[Black Cherry]] * [[Cherry]] * [[Cranberry]] * [[Cranberry]]-[[Raspberry]] *Fruit Fiesta * [[Grape]] * [[Green Apple]] * [[Lemon]] {{col-break}} * [[Lime]] * [[Margarita]] (seasonal) *Melon Fusion * [[Mixed Fruit]] * [[Orange (fruit)|Orange]] * [[Peach]] * [[Piña Colada]] (seasonal) * [[Pineapple]] * [[Raspberry]] {{col-break}} * [[Strawberry]] * [[Strawberry-Banana]] * [[Strawberry-Kiwi]] * [[Strawberry Daiquiri]] (seasonal) * [[Tropical Berry]] (prepared only) *Tropical Fusion * [[Watermelon]] * Wild Cherry * [[Wild Strawberry]] {{col-end}} === Pudding === {{col-begin}} {{col-break}} * Banana Cream * Butterscotch * Cheesecake * [[Chips Ahoy!]] * [[Chocolate]] * Chocolate Fudge * Chocolate-Vanilla Swirl (prepared only) * Coconut Cream * Cookies 'n Creme ([[Oreo]]) {{col-break}} * Creamy Caramel (prepared only) * Devil's Food * Double Chocolate (prepared only) * Dulce De Leche * Egg Custard * Flan * French Vanilla * Lemon * Peanut Butter Cup {{col-break}} * Pistachio * [[Pumpkin]] Spice (seasonal) * [[Rice]] Pudding * S'mores * Tapioca (prepared only) * Vanilla * Vanilla-Caramel (prepared only) * White Chocolate {{col-end}} == Discontinued flavors of Jell-O brand desserts== {{col-begin}} {{col-break}} * Apple * Black Raspberry * Blackberry * Bubble Gum * Celery * Chocolate * Coffee * Cola * Concord Grape * Cranberry-Strawberry * Fruit Mold Supreme {{col-break}} * Italian Salad * Lemon-Lime * Mango * Melon-Berry * Mixed Vegetable * Orange-Banana * Orange-Coconut (pudding) * Orange-Pineapple * Passion Fruit * Pickle * Pineapple-Grapefruit {{col-break}} * Plain * Raspberry Mango * Seasoned Tomato * Sparkling Berry * Sparkling Mandarin Orange * Sparkling White Grape * Strawberry Punch * Triple Chocolate * Tropical Fruit * Wild Cherry * Wild Raspberry {{col-end}} ==Cultural references== === Entertainment === [[Jack Benny]]'s top-rated radio show did not break away for commercials. Instead, his announcer, Don, incorporated speeches about Jello into the program at appropriate places, to Jack's feigned comic annoyance. Perhaps the earliest musical reference to Jell-O was in the lyrics of "Cockeyed Optimist" from the musical ''[[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]]'' (Rodgers and Hammerstein, 1949) when Nellie sings "I could say life is just a bowl of Jell-O". Forty years later, it was mentioned in the film ''[[Ghostbusters 2]]''. When [[Winston Zeddemore|Winston]] is reminded that a supernatural 'goo' resembles Jell-O, he remarks that he hates Jell-O. [[Peter Venkman]] responds, "There's always room for Jell-O". In the popular American TV version of the [[UK]] series ''[[The Office (US TV series)|The Office]]'' (2005) [[Jim Halpert]] has encased [[Dwight Schrute]]'s and [[Andy Bernard]]'s office supplies in Jell-O. In [[The Office (UK TV series)|the original UK-based show]] (2001) [[Tim Canterbury]] did the same to [[Gareth Keenan]], though they referred to the dessert by the common UK term "jelly". Samantha Carter of [[Stargate SG-1]] has been seen to enjoy blue Jell-O on numerous occasions. Jell-O powder was a primary ingredient in the green slime for the 1980s TV hit, [[You Can't Do That on Television]]. Eric Reed Boucher, the lead singer of the [[punk rock]] band [[Dead Kennedys]], used [[Jello Biafra]] as his stage name. === Commercials === Comedian [[Bill Cosby]] is usually associated with Jell-O and, more famously, Jell-O pudding as he has appeared in many commercials promoting both. Shows like ''[[MAD TV]]'', ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and ''[[SNL]]'' parody Cosby, using Jello references like "pudding pop". In the 1960s, the cast of the popular sitcom ''[[Hogan's Heroes]]'' did a commercial with [[Carol Channing]] featuring the gang having Jell-O for dessert. ==See also== *[[Jell-O Belt]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==Further reading== * [http://www.kraftfoods.com/jello/ Official Kraft Jell-o website] * [http://www.kraftfoods.com/jello/explore/history/ Kraft Foods: History of Jell-O] * [http://www.gelatin-gmia.com/ Gelatin Manufacturers Institute of America] * [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/nyregion/04jello.html?ex=1210564800&en=11a9dce77358ac6b&ei=5070 Upstate, Where It Was First Made, Unwavering Devotion to Jell-O New York Times May 4, 2008 {{-}} {{Kraftprod}} [[Category:American cuisine]] [[Category:Canadian cuisine]] [[Category:Brand name desserts]] [[Category:Genericized trademarks]] [[Category:Kraft brands]] [[Category:Animal products]] [[Category:Symbols of Utah]] [[de:Jell-O]] [[fr:Jell-O]] [[simple:Jell-O]] [[sv:Jell-O]]