If You Were Born After 1964, You'll Have a Hard Time Passing This Food Quiz

FOOD & DRINK

By: Lauren Lubas

7 Min Quiz

Image: The Stay At Home Chef via YouTube

About This Quiz

Growing up in the '50s, '60s and '70s meant you had to eat meals that were ... How do we put this? Jell-O-fied. It's incredible what people jellied, put in a Jell-O mold and simply mixed with powdered gelatin. We found some amazing foods that are guaranteed to pull up some nostalgic feelings for the loaves, salads and rolls that sat on your dinner table back in the day. You probably remember that plating was important back then, especially for foods that were prepared for parties. To make plating easier on those who cooked dinner, everything was pretty much slammed together, stuffed or Jell-O-fied (kind of like how everything in the '90s was pizza-fied). 

You're going to wish you had a scratch and sniff monitor when you see these vintage foods. In this quiz, you'll find 40 foods and recipes that will bring you back to the days when you knew it was time to come home when the street lights turned on. Do you think you can name them all? Don't worry; we aren't going to hold anything back. Take this quiz to see the foods we found from the '50s, '60s and '70s. Fair warning: Most of these foods contain SPAM, hot dogs and ground meats..


You may have spotted these hors d'oeuvres at a garden party when you were young. What are they?

Salmon mousse was very popular in the Midwest during the 1950s and '60s. The mousse was usually served on or with crackers, but it could also be found on cucumbers for a refreshing crunch.

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This hot dish was often made with crunched up crackers on top. Can you name it?

Tuna noodle casserole was a staple in homes across the country. With canned tuna being readily available at a low cost, it gave those looking to add more fish to their lives a chance to get a tasty home-cooked meal out of it.

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In the '60s, this was the perfect dish for cocktail parties. Do you remember what it's called?

Cocktail parties were an excellent way to get your friends together to gossip, catch up, or just hang out. Most people read magazines to learn about new and interesting topics to discuss during those get-togethers, but you weren't considered a good hostess if you didn't offer your friends a little something to eat.

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Can you name this interesting-looking cake with fruit on it?

The 1950s and '60s offered America's home cooks the ease of boxed meals and desserts to give them more free time. With the introduction of boxed cake mixes, cooks were able to get a little more creative, adding fruits and decorations.

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Do you remember this dish that included chicken, cream sauce and vegetables?

Chicken a la king was often made with condensed cream of mushroom soup as the base of the cream sauce. Though these days people might be concerned with the amount of sodium it contains, it was a delicious addition to menus in the '50s and '60s.

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What is the name of this "salad" that includes marshmallows?

Ambrosia salad has it all: Jell-O, whipped cream, maraschino cherries, coconut, oranges, grapes, bananas and marshmallows. Growing up in the '60s and '70s meant that you got to indulge in this sweet treat at nearly every party.

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Everyone's mom had a secret recipe for this classic dinner that included ground meat. What is it?

Recipes can range from a simple ground beef and seasonings to mixing beef, pork and lamb together to create a literal loaf of meat. Ground meat was inexpensive back then, and cooking a meatloaf for dinner could feed the family and provide leftovers.

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You might be able to get a taste of this cake if you try a chocolate lava cake, but what did they call this bundt back in the '60s?

The tunnel of fudge cake won the Pillsbury bake-off in 1966. It soon became a household staple, showing home cooks that it was easy to create a fudge center in baking. Additionally, it was successful for drumming up business for the producers of bundt pans.

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Which packaged meal had everything you needed?

The idea for creating frozen meals came around when the Swanson company had an overstock of turkey after Thanksgiving in 1953. They thought that if they froze it and sold it, they would lose less money. They actually made quite a profit.

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Do you recognize this tomato-based Jell-O loaf?

If you ever saw your mom host a luncheon or bridge party with the girls, you most likely saw this on the table. It was a favorite of many women in the 1950s. Back then, people made a lot of interesting things with Jell-O.

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Home cooks prepared this meat in many creative ways. What is it?

Nearly every meat-eating home in the 1950s and '60s had at least one can of SPAM on hand. It was a pantry staple that helped home cooks make a fast meal in a pinch. It could be fried, added to a Jell-O mold, baked and so much more.

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These little dogs made the best finger foods at parties. Can you tell us what they're called?

When you take a hotdog, wrap it in a pastry or biscuit dough and bake it, you get one of the best finger foods or appetizers that the 1950s had to offer: pigs in a blanket. They were mostly served at parties, but later became after-school snacks for kids.

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Green sherbet plus a clear fizzy drink makes what kind of sugary snack for kids?

As a way to market and sell more 7-Up, the company decided to deliver a recipe that rivaled root beer floats. The citrus flavors mixed well and made for a creamy treat for kids. This technique was later found in punch bowls at parties across the United States.

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If you grew up in the '60s you probably begged your parents to buy this frozen treat. Do you remember what it was called?

Astronaut ice cream was an attempt to exploit the NASA space program and the moon landing in general. This ice cream was freeze dried, helping it lose that creamy texture you were looking for, but it was what the astronauts ate, so kids wanted it.

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Can you name these crackers that were found at every party in the '60 and '70s?

If you've never seen one of these before, imagine a thick cracker covered in chicken bouillon dust. They were high in sodium, but even higher in flavor, making them a household staple back in the day.

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Do you remember these chips that rivaled modern-day Fritos Scoops?

Anyone who enjoys a good corn chip knows that the shape is important. Dippy Canoes looked very much like today's Fritos Scoops, but some argue that they had a better flavor and texture.

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This simple dip gave cooks the ability to add flavor to every party. Do you know what it is?

Packaging French onion soup mix doesn't seem like a good idea, until you realize how many different recipes can come out of it. If you add the mix to sour cream, you have French onion dip, giving your chips extra sodium and a delicious, creamy flavor.

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Which cereal offered a toy and was distributed by Quaker?

Quake was marketed as a "vitamin powered sugary cereal." It gave kids energy, or so it claimed. It was a corn-based cereal that had honey, sugar, oats and more sugar. If you sent the company 50 cents and two box tops, you could get yourself a quake toy. Quaker released Quake and Quisp cereals simultaneously. Quisp won the "breakfast feud," and Quake was discontinued.

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Do you know which popcorn treat came in a black box?

The black packaging of Screaming Yellow Zonkers was noted among grocery shoppers and talked about for years. Rarely would you find a child's treat packaged in something that didn't catch the eye, which ended up catching people's attention.

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Before Diet Coke, the Coca-Cola company offered this diet drink that boasted only a single calorie per 16 ounces. What drink is it?

Before Tab, there was only one other diet drink on the market, Diet Rite. Tab has an interesting history of using sweeteners that were banned by the FDA and replacing them with saccharin, a known carcinogen.

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In the early '70s, this pie was found on many dinner tables. What is it?

Quiche is a simple concept: egg filling in a pie crust. Most recipes packed the crusts with vegetables, fresh herbs and cheese. It became one of the most interesting and simple dinners for home cooks to make.

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Which popular vintage cake had loads of veggies in it?

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting was one of the most popular cakes of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Its popularity made it all the way to the 1990s. It was a sweet cake that also offered a lot of fiber.

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Do you recognize this boxed cheese?

Velveeta has been around for over 100 years, and surprisingly, it was marketed as a health food. This processed cheese was incredibly popular throughout the middle of the 20th century, and it was given a lot of attention at parties.

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Cream cheese, chili powder, nuts and smoked oysters are the ingredients in this classic party spread. Do you know what it's called?

Those who grew up in the '60s and '70s most definitely saw these at holiday parties across the country. They were considered a tradition and were devoured while people waited for the main course to be served.

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Can you name this side dish that was covered in French fried onions?

Many home cooks liked to add chicken to their cheesy cheddar broccoli casserole in order to make it a complete dish. However, this casserole was usually considered a side dish, much like green bean casserole.

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Do you remember what this grilled sandwich that included grape jelly and Velveeta cheese was called?

Marketed by craft to sell both jelly and Velveeta cheese, the Jellygrill sandwich tastes about as good as it sounds. You get the sweet and salty mixed together, along with various textures. If your mouth and taste buds could handle it, you probably loved this thing.

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What was this orange ice cream with licorice "stripes" called?

Feed your hungry stomach with the pallet-cleansing flavor of black licorice and orange. Though we can all think of a better way to get black stripes in ice cream (like chocolate), some loved this product made by Sani-Dairy.

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Somewhere between ham salad and ham pate is this gem that you probably tasted back in the day. Do you know what it's called?

Marketed as the best possible thing to do with your leftover canned ham, deviled ham had an interesting recipe. It included cream cheese, mayonnaise, onion, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.

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This dish was more popular than one might think. Do you know what it's called?

Not only was this recipe shared by the Chiquita banana company, it was also marketed by ham companies. The recipe involves wrapping a peeled banana in ham and covering it with cheese sauce. It's a real thing.

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Can you name this pie that looks very much like a fruitcake on the inside?

Using jellied fruits and whipped cream, people created pies out of practically nothing back in the '70s. This pie gave you the satisfaction of eating candy, and pie that felt like ice cream. It was innovative but didn't stand the test of time.

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Do you remember this cake that turned heads in the '60s and '70s?

Black Forest cake is a chocolate cake that is saturated in cherry juice. It usually is decorated in fresh or jarred cherries and some almonds. The flavors made a comeback in the mid-2000s, and the cake will always have a cult following.

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Which canned fish was used in recipes and as a quick snack?

Sardines were salty and easy to eat, if you liked the taste. They were often used in recipes throughout the '50s and '60s. Though their popularity has decreased quite a bit, you can still find them at supermarkets across the country.

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This dish was made by mixing two cans of soup and serving it over saltines. What is it called?

If you mix a can of cheddar cheese soup and condensed tomato soup, add a little milk and heat, you have the base of this recipe. For the most part, it was served over a bowl of saltine crackers, giving you one of the most sodium-filled eating experiences of your lifetime.

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What are these rolls that were a common side dish throughout the '50s and '60s?

Popovers were an essential addition to nearly every vintage meal. They were a simple, yet satisfying roll that puffed up in the oven when it was cooked. While most of us resort to Pilsbury biscuits these days, popovers were the go-to recipe back when.

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Can you name this gelatin that made its way to Thanksgiving tables across the country?

Oranges and cranberries have always paired well together, and when turned into a gelatin, they can be molded to your liking. The orange cranberry relish mold holds a lot of nostalgic value for those who have ever tried it.

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This delicacy gave you a lot of protein and salt at the breakfast table. Do you know what it is?

If bacon wasn't readily available, frying up slices (or chunks) of SPAM was a great alternative. It matched the salty flavor of the bacon and gave you additional protein for your breakfast treat.

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They came in a jar instead of a corn husk. Do you know what these are?

Though many of us have seen tamales that come in a can, others have fond memories of tamales that were jarred. Though they didn't look as appetizing as they may have been, they did attract home cooks looking for a quick meal.

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Any ground meat and vegetables mixed with gelatin had a catchy name. Do you remember what it was?

Meal in a mould was everything you imagine it could be. For the most part, the vegetables were put at the bottom of the Jell-O mold so they could be on top when the entire meal was extracted. It made for interesting plating and an even more interesting flavor.

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Do you remember the name of this popcorn that came with its own pan?

E-Z Pop was a great way to get the popcorn you loved without owning a popcorn machine or a pan. You simply put the foil pan over a heat source and shook it until the kernels were fully popped.

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Can you name the powered drink mix that was used in many recipes?

Tang was well known as the drink the astronauts took to the moon. It was so popular in the 1960s and '70s that people found many different recipes to make with it, including desserts and ice cream.

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