Gelatin Molds Are the One Holiday Food Readers Reject; Sweets and Party Food Win
Food · Heart share by food type
hearts for gelatin and molded salads, the only big food type with more thumbs-downs than hearts
Source: Statwren, The Holiday Table Report (2026). Share of ❤️ votes on photos of each type of dish, piacipizza.com readers, Sep 26 to Oct 30, 2026. 9,103 votes from 2,038 readers.
Readers of a US food-nostalgia publication voted on photos of 193 old-fashioned Christmas and Thanksgiving dishes. Overall they were fond of the old table: 71% of votes were hearts.
The treats and the party spread did best. Plated sides and casseroles were where the old table lost readers, and gelatin and molded salads were the one large group they actively rejected. Tomato aspic, pooled across its appearances, drew 25% hearts.
When readers explained a thumbs-down, the top reasons were “Not something I would eat” and “Don’t like the ingredients”. Only 2% said a dish looked dated.
From the report
The full report ranks all 193 foods, shows why readers loved or rejected each type, and adds 29 polls on holiday mains, family dinners and hosting.
See the full report