Archival Anecdotes: From gelatin to Jell-O

Jell-O had me stumped as a child. It was as refreshing as liquid and solid enough to suspend banana slices. Eventually I asked my grandma, because if anyone knew anything about the Jell-O's state of matter it would be her. She said, "It's more like plasma or bone marrow."

At that point, I tried to swear off the jiggly sweet stuff, but such efforts only lasted until the next family gathering.

As it...