Man-Pleaser Salads

Daintiness and sweetness have long been linked with notions of femininity, expressed via women's behavior, appearance, and appetites. A nineteenth century physiologist once stated that women were anatomically predisposed to favor "light and agreeable food," due to their smaller stomachs and "less energetic" chewing. footnote Desserts were perceived as especially ladylike, and consequently the consumption of ethereal dishes like marshmallow puddings, prune whips, and jellied salads became performative expressions of femininity. "The more ornate and decorative the food, the better it demonstrated the distinction between women and men," says historian Sherrie Inness. footnote 

(Brief aside: this conflation of sweetness and femininity was so deeply ingrained that, between 1870 and 1920, there was a near-epidemic of iron-deficiency anemia among adolescent girls, who were refusing to eat meat due to its masculine associations. Said one young woman to her doctor: "Oh, I like pies and preserves but I can't bear meat." footnote The anemic girls developed a pale complexion that, despite being recognized as a symptom of illness, was often called beautiful. footnote)

All of this brings us to Man-Pleaser Salads, an attempt by Knox Gelatine to transcend gelatin's dainty affiliations and appeal to male appetites. "[Men] abominate a lot of sugar in salads," Knox explains. "Jellied salads make a big hit with the men if they're tart and have the fresh taste of honest home ingredients." This booklet contains a range of savory recipes such as Molded Salmon Salad, Home Run Salad (a gelatinized egg salad), and Perfection Salad (a jellied coleslaw). Interestingly, a number of these dishes are also included in earlier materials targeted at women, including "Dainty Desserts, Candies, Salads" (1929) and "Dainty Desserts for Dainty People" (1915).