Can We Guess Your Generation Based on Your Taste in Vintage Foods?

By: Emily Maggrett
Estimated Completion Time
6 min
Can We Guess Your Generation Based on Your Taste in Vintage Foods?
Image: Jasmin Merdan / Moment / Getty Images

About This Quiz

When we look back at the kind of foods that were trendy in the '40s, '50s and '60s, it's hard not to shake our heads. Sloppy joes taste just as gross as they sound, and Jello salad doesn't merely taste weird — it looks like crazy food from the future! What were chefs back then thinking?

As it turns out, while some of those food trends were inexplicable, others had their roots in very understandable circumstances — namely, World War II food rationing. Because the troops required so much fresh food, ingredients like milk, eggs, butter, fresh fruit and fresh vegetables were hard for ordinary cooks to come by. So they improvised, creating dishes based on canned or preserved foods. That's how stewed prunes, pineapple upside-down cake and creamed chipped beef were invented. 

Meat was scarce too, which is why dishes like liver and onions used to be so popular. If you can't get steak, liver starts looking pretty good! Later generations were less affected by these circumstances, which means that their taste in food differed widely from that of their parents or grandparents. Don't believe us? That's what this quiz is for. Tell us your opinion of a bunch of vintage foods and we'll accurately guess your generation!

Salisbury Steak How do you feel about Salisbury Steak?
I don't know what it is.
I've heard of it but never tried it.
Yuck, they used to serve that in the cafeteria.
I'm making it tonight!

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Fondue If a friend invited you over for fondue, would you actually go?
My dude, what's fondue?
No, that sounds gross.
Sure, why not?
No way! That's hippie food.

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Boiled Tomato with Breakfast Some older people like a boiled tomato with breakfast. Would you be willing to try this?
No. That's a waste of a perfectly good tomato!
I'd try it at a restaurant, but I wouldn't make it at home.
My mom used to eat those and I thought it was dumb.
Look, peeling and boiling the tomato makes it taste more refined, OK?

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Pâté Pâté: yum or yuck?
Um, what?
Yum (if made with good ingredients)
No, thank you
Yum, yum!

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Broiled Trout When's the last time you had a broiled trout?
Um, I've never even had regular trout.
I had it once at my grandma's house.
1985?
Two weeks ago

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Frogs Legs Believe it or not, Americans used to eat a lot more frogs' legs ... they're all over menus from the '30s, '40s and '50s. Are you down with this amphibian treat?
Nope!
No (but don't tell my French girlfriend.)
Yes, but only if I'm visiting New Orleans.
Yep!

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Chicken and Dumplings Chicken and dumplings: delicious winter meal or carb-loaded nightmare?
Never heard of it
Carb-loaded nightmare
It's very good but takes too long to make.
I love making chicken and dumplings when it's snowing outside.

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Cottage Cheese with Pineapple In the mood for a light lunch? How about a bowl of cottage cheese with pineapple chunks?
Ew, no thanks!
Well, that does sound high-protein ...
Let's leave that food trend back in the '80s.
Sounds good!

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Liver and Onions Could we tempt you with a plate of liver and onions?
You could not "tempt" me with that, no.
I'd eat it if a fancy Brooklyn chef told me to.
The smell alone is a deal-breaker.
Hand them over, please!

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Chicken à la King Here are some definitions of Chicken à la King. Three are false. Can you guess the correct choice?
Chicken and pasta smothered in cheese
Chicken roasted in butter and stuffed with celery
Chicken in a spicy orange sauce served over rice
Chicken in cream sauce with mushrooms and peppers

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Cheese Logs During the holiday season, do you enjoy eating cheese logs?
I do not, sir!
Who needs an entire log's worth of cheese?
As a cheese fan, I can't say I hate them.
It's just not Christmas without a nice cheese log.

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Veal Let's talk veal. Is it ethical to savor this tasty treat?
No. Those are baby cows!
Maybe, if the veal was raised free-range.
No. There's just something gross about it.
Veal is really good, so ... yes?

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Jello Salad Jello salad: a great way to jazz up salad or the world's worst side dish?
It's fine if it's just made of Jello.
It's fine if it's just made of Jello and fruit.
I can't lie; I sort of enjoy weird Jello salads with whip cream and maraschino cherries and such.
Jello makes ordinary salads fun!

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TV Dinner Do you remember microwaving TV dinners? Does it make you feel nostalgic, or are you glad those days are over?
I have never eaten a TV dinner in my life.
Ah, that brings back fond memories of my parent's divorce.
Look, I don't always have time to make a four-course meal!
In my opinion, microwaved meat does not taste very nice.

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Bologna Sandwich Have you ever eaten a Wonderbread and bologna sandwich?
Aren't those illegal?
Actually, that was my usual school lunch.
I'm pretty sure that's all I ate in the '70s.
I'm old enough to remember when bologna was an exotic food!

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Pineapple Cake Is pineapple upside-down cake ... actually good?
I don't know; never had it.
I remember eating it as a kid, and ... I think it might be.
It's very good!
It's the king of cakes (and cheap to make, too.)

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Deviled Eggs When someone shows up with a tray of deviled eggs, do you say "yay!" or "nay"?
I say, "Lol, what?"
I say, "Nay! Get those away from me."
I say, "Meh."
I say, "Yay, my favorite!"

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Meatloaf Sandwich Could you go for a meatloaf sandwich right about now?
I'd rather have a taco.
I'd rather have a slice of pizza.
I'd rather have a meatball sub.
I'd love one, thank you!

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Roasted Bone Marrow They say roasted bone marrow is very good for you. Is that fact enough to make you want to try it?
Nah
Yes
I can't handle the texture.
I eat it for the taste alone!

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Lamb Chops Are you sad that lamb chops have gone out of fashion?
No way! I love lambs!
Nah ... they're always dry.
Kind of. They do make for a fast dinner.
So sad!

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Corned Beef Hash Care for some corned beef hash?
Um ... is that what I think it is?
Nah. The sodium alone would probably kill me.
I loved it as a kid, but I can't say I crave eating it again.
I thought you'd never ask!

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Cream of Mushroom Soup Many grandmas believe in adding cream of mushroom soup to everything. Do you?
How does that even work?
No. That doesn't sound right to me.
Nope. That cooking technique should stay in the past.
Yes. Hey, it helps add moisture to casseroles.

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Egg Salad Sandwich Would an egg salad sandwich satisfy your palate?
The words "egg salad" send a shiver down my spine.
Heck no.
If I were at a picnic, sure.
Gotta love a classic!

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Creamed Chipped Beef Do you even KNOW what "creamed chipped beef" is?
No
No, and I don't want to know.
It's some disgusting beef dish, but I don't know what it's made of.
Creamed chipped beef is dried beef that's been reconsituted with a white milk sauce. It's actually really good!

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Beef Tongue Imagine that you're attending a dinner party at Julia Child's house. She brings out a platter of broiled tongue with Madeira sauce. What do you do?
I'd make an excuse and leave.
I'd at least try it.
I'd politely choke it down.
I'd thank my lucky stars!

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Canned Fruit Cocktail Have you ever bought canned fruit cocktail on purpose?
... No.
Once, but it was a joke.
Yes, when I was younger and didn't know better.
How else am I supposed to get my daily serving of fruit?

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Fried Sweetbreads When meat was more expensive, folks used to eat a lot more fried sweetbreads (also known as organ meat). Would you be willing to eat this thrifty protein?
Absolutely not
Yes, if I were broke.
Yes ... they can be good if you cook them correctly.
I'm eating sweetbreads right now!

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Prunes Are prunes underrated?
Nope!
Maybe?
They're healthy but not tasty.
Prunes rule!

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Egg Cream Should we bring egg creams back?
What on earth is an "egg cream"?
I think some people are trying to do that already.
No. Egg creams are a very weird drink.
They never went out of fashion at my house!

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Casserole Your new neighbor welcomes you to the block with a Spam casserole. You think ... ?
"Eek, why is my neighbor even talking to me?"
"Huh, I guess my neighbor is some kind of retro performance artist."
"Well, this casserole is gross, but I appreciate the gesture."
"Wow! I think I just met my new best friend."

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