I actually got curious about these vile looking jellied salads of yesteryear and looked them up. Turns out the history behind them is
quite interesting . Personally I've never eaten one - I was grossed out by dessert jelly as a kid, let alone savory jellies, the thought of which turns my stomach. But I am curious as to what people thought jelly added to the taste of a salad, aside from the aesthetic aspect of using it to "showcase" the ingredients. I can imagine spending the whole meal trying to separate the salad from the jelly, and shuddering at what remained of it in every mouthful. Awful awful stuff.