Jello fun!

One of my student's favourite songs from Beeline Plus (the English book we are currently using) is a celebratory ode to the joys of lemon Jell-O. I was shocked to find out that Jell-O is an unknown commodity here in Korea. After trying to explain what Jell-O was, I made an off-handed comment that I would have to bring some back from my trip to Canada at Christmas. Well, they never let me forget that commitment, and reminded me at least twice each day leading up to my Christmas vacation.

Following the recipe for Jell-O Jigglers, I whipped up a few batches of Jell-O which were enthusiastically received!


It is a good thing I know Jell-O is so delicious, because after reading the following Wikipedia description of where it comes from, I'm not sure I would be willing to try it:

Animal rendering is a key step in the manufacture of gelatin desserts. The production of gelatin starts with the boiling of bones, skins, and hides of cows and pigs, in 70-foot vats to remove collagen, which is then soaked and filtered. The extract is then dried and ground to form a powder, and is mixed with sugar, adipic acid, fumaric acid, sodium citrate, and artificial flavorings and food colors.

What some more interesting Jell-O trivia? Did you know that Jell-O is reportedly the favourite snack of Mormons? In fact, Jell-O is the official state snack food of Utah, which is reported to have the highest per capita sales of green gelatin dessert of any U.S. state. This has earned Utah and the surrounding areas the label "Jello Belt".