Ambrosia Salad
You either love it, OR… you don’t.
Today let’s revisit an oldie but a goodie. Well, some people think it’s a goodie. It seems there are folks who really love this salad, and some who really…. don’t. It’s a dish that everyone has an opinion on. What dish might that be, you ask? Ambrosia Salad, of course!
I would imagine that a lot of you have encountered this salad at some point in your lives. In the 1950s and ‘60s, this salad was a big deal. Big deal. If you wanted something fancy included in your dinner, you served Ambrosia Salad.
So, just for fun, let’s take a little look at the history behind this salad: The word “Ambrosia” means delicious or fragrant. Ambrosia appears in Greek mythology, as the gods on Mount Olympus ate Ambrosia to maintain immortality. They had to have it to remain strong. Also, as stated in Homer's Iliad, the gods bathed in Ambrosia and used it as perfume. So nowadays, Ambrosia is sometimes referred to as the Food of the Gods. And I know people who believe that description is justified. Nevertheless, as far as us mortals in the United States are concerned, it’s widely believed that this salad got its start in the southern states and gradually made its way up north.
However it got its start, when I was growing up my family called it Five Cup Salad. Why? Because it’s made using one cup each of five ingredients. As a child, I loved this salad. It was like salad dessert. My cousins and I would ask to serve ourselves so that we could (not so) secretly maneuver the spoonfuls to capture the most marshmallows. And now, as an adult, I have to confess that I still like this salad. I have not made it in a very long time, but I think it might be time to give this another spin. Family: be ready when you attend our next dinner gathering!
Five Cup Salad
1 cup canned mandarin oranges (drained)
1 cup canned pineapple chunks (drained)
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup sour cream
Mix all together gently, cover, chill, and serve. Makes 6-9 side-dish portions.
You can make this salad even fancier by stirring in some whipped cream (some people use Cool Whip), halved maraschino cherries, and chopped walnuts or pecans. As for our family? We stayed true to the original recipe – we’re purists, I guess. Whichever way you choose to make it, I hope you enjoy this dessert masquerading as a salad!
Do you have a family recipe that brings back memories for you? If so, I’d love to hear about it! Please just send me a note at ourgrandmasrecipebox@gmail.com
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My family were decidedly in the "don't love this" camp. We're Jewish and we associated salad-type desserts as something Jewish people don't make as a salad or a dessert.
Not only is it good, it’s almost guilt-free, if you simply emphasize the word “salad”. Kind of like “All Beef Hot Dogs” — got to be healthy, right? Thanks for the recipe, Connie.
Sorry to rain on your regional handwriting tribe, but the writing also looks just like my Mother’s. She learned her penmanship in Massachusetts, though it would have been in the 20’s (1920’s). Maybe it’s a Zaner-Bloser thing, Connie, taught “by-the-book” in every classroom in the country.