Ambrosia Salad Recipe - The Seasoned Mom (2024)

FAQs

What are the main ingredients in ambrosia salad? ›

The best Ambrosia Salad recipe is made with pineapple, mandarin oranges, yogurt, mini marshmallows, coconut and whipped cream. This easy side dish has a delicious tropical sweetness and is always a crowd favorite!

Most ambrosia recipes contain canned (often sweetened) or fresh pineapple, canned mandarin orange slices or fresh orange sections, miniature marshmallows, and coconut. Other ingredients might include various fruits and nuts: maraschino cherries, bananas, strawberries, peeled grapes, or crushed pecans.

The once hard-to-find ingredients were considered luxurious and exotic. The salad was a treat reserved for holidays and other special occasions, and named “ambrosia” after the food of the Greek and Roman gods. But it wasn't until the early 20th century that ambrosia as we know it came to be.

In 1867, Maria Massey Barringer of Concord, North Carolina, provided a recipe in her “Dixie Cookery; or, How I Managed My Table for Twelve Years." She counseled readers to stick to fresh grated coconut, sweetened with a little sugar in alternating layers with pulped oranges.

Ambrosia is an attractive medium-sized apple, with a pink-tinged orange/red flush over a yellow background. As such it is very much in tune with the modern preference for "bi-coloured" apples.

Beat cream cheese and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Mix in whipped topping on high speed until incorporated. Fold in pineapple, fruit co*cktail, bananas, apple, coconut, pecans, raisins, and cherries. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

The word “ambrosia” means delicious or fragrant. Ambrosia was also the magical fruit of the gods in ancient Greek mythology. The gods on Mount Olympus ate ambrosia to maintain immortality and without it, they became weak. In Homer's Iliad, the gods bathed in ambrosia and used it as perfume.

Phytonutrients have been linked to general disease prevention, improved digestive health, reduction of inflammation, increased cognitive health, and overall longevity. Ambrosia apples contain several phytonutrients in the form of polyphenols and flavonoids (often celebrated for their antioxidant properties).

1. : the food of the Greek and Roman gods. 2. : something extremely pleasing to taste or smell.

Syndicated household advice columnists Anne Adams and Nan Nash-Cummings, in their "Anne & Nan" column of October 9, 1997, reported that name came from the similar "Watergate Cake" (which shares most of the same ingredients): "The recipes came out during the Watergate scandal.

Why is ambrosia so good? ›

Ambrosia apples have a thinner skin which means they're easy to bite into. This is great for the young and old – whether you're wearing dentures or breaking in your brand new teeth – Ambrosia apples are the better choice. For everyone else, the thinner skin just makes eating an Ambrosia apple that much more enjoyable.

Ambrosia Salad Tastes Like Coconut, Watergate Salad Tastes Like Pistachio. One of the first things that sets ambrosia and Watergate salads apart is the flavor profile of each dish. Watergate salad uses a pistachio instant pudding packet and often calls for additional garnishings of pistachio on top.

Definitions of ambrosia. (classical mythology) the food and drink of the gods; mortals who ate it became immortal. synonyms: nectar. type of: dainty, delicacy, goody, kickshaw, treat.

The original recipe consisted only of diced red-skinned apples, celery, and mayonnaise. Chopped walnuts were added later to this now American classic.

Dessert salads are usually sweet and often contain fruits, sweetened gelatin, nuts, cream, and whipped cream. Waldorf salad is a popular dessert salad.