Today’s ambrosia salad is a fruit-salad medley of pineapple, mandarin orange slices, coconut, and either mayonnaise, whipped cream, sour cream, cream cheese, or… whatever seems creamy enough. Sometimes cooks add maraschino cherries. They might also add bananas, grapes, pecans, and the kitchen sink. Many versions use marshmallows and whipped topping. There exists, however, a long-forgotten original Ambrosia recipe. This version of the popular dessert is less decadent and sweet, and much more elegant!
The original ambrosia recipe, first recorded in 1867 by Maria Massey Barringer in Dixie Cookery, was a simple, elegant three-ingredient dessert. Unlike modern versions, the authentic 19th-century version consisted only of layers of pulped oranges and freshly grated coconut sweetened with a small amount of sugar, served in ice cream plates without marshmallows, cream, or cherries.
The Mythical Food of the Gods vs. The Real 1867 Recipe.
We think of the mythical Ambrosia as the food of the Gods on Mount Olympus (the Gods of the Ancient Greeks). Ambrosia, along with nectar, sustains the Gods and maintains their immortality. Ancient authors often depicted this food as a solid. Sometimes they described is as a liquid or some combination of the two. The idea has roots in Indian mythology, where ambrosia or Soma was an elixir that gave gods immortality but could also restore life or cure diseases.
It was said that any mortal who was given ambrosia would never die from an unnatural death but would instead live out their full years and only die naturally.
The mythical ambrosia sounds better than the American version, I must say. We don’t have to trek to the top of Mount Olympia to find the true original Ambrosia recipe, though. The recipe surfaced in 1867, appearing in one of many Southern cookbooks actually authored by an enslaved Black woman. It’s not far divorced from citrus-related salads today, and it seems quite nice!
I found the earliest recipe the 1867 book Dixie Cookery by Maria Massey Barringer.
The recipe was very simple and straightforward, with only a few ingredients, rather than everything sweet you happen to have on hand.
This original Ambrosia recipe from 1867 was nothing more than a layered salad of pulped oranges (the flesh removed from the sections), and grated coconut that had been sweetened. In those days, packaged dried coconut and Mandarin oranges were not available.
The Irony of Barringer’s ‘Simple’ Meal
Recounted in American Food: A Not-So-Serious History is Barringer’s idea of a “simple” meal, from a letter she wrote to her sister:
I had a few minutes talk with Ellen (the cook) who told me she had just taken from the oven a large loaf of rolls and one of our largest hams and these supplemented by poultry and vegetables and a tipsy cake pudding and fruits with cream furnished the simple dinner, ready in a half hour after their arrival.
The title of the cookbook is quite ironic since it is almost certain that Mrs. Barringer never managed her table and was quite well-to-do enough that many of the ingredients she called for were too expensive to be considered ‘practical.’ Her Ambrosia is a perfect example. Mandarin oranges and coconuts were likely out of reach for all but the wealthiest Americans
Her ‘simple meal’ sounds like Thanksgiving dinner in many households. Furthermore, this true example of the original Ambrosia dessert seems much more reasonable. It’s likely tastier than today’s decadent and ultra-processed version.
The cookbook opens with the “author” describing the “exhaustive duties of the pre-Civil War wealthy white woman.” A woman who had to, gulp, teach her cooks everything. Ellen, her cook, likely wrote or recited the recipes in the book.
Diatribes aside, as with most recipes given in cookbooks of the day, there are no amounts given and only the most sketchy instructions.
Original Ambrosia Recipe From 1867
Here is the complete recipe from the book:
Grate the white part of the coconut, sweeten with a little sugar, and place in a glass bowl, in alternate layers with pulped oranges, having a layer of coconut on top. Serve in ice cream plates or saucers.
Why Ellen’s Version Wins Over Modern “Salads”
As author Rachel Wharton points out a key difference in American Food. Today, we might just layer segments with sugar and coconut. However, these instructions likely intend for us to remove the peel and pith before macerating the pulp
The Original 1867 Ambrosia (Modernized Steps)
- Prepare the “Pulped” Oranges:
- Peel 3 to 4 Manarin oranges or other oranges, ensuring you remove all the bitter white pith.
- Using a sharp knife, supreme the oranges by cutting between the membranes to release the clean segments.
- Slightly “mush up” or macerate the segments to release their natural juices.
- Grate and Sweeten the Coconut:
- Use only the white part of a fresh coconut, finely grated.
- Toss the coconut with approximately 1 tablespoon of sugar (or to taste).
- Layer the Salad:
- In a clear glass bowl, create a foundational layer of the orange pulp.
- Add a layer of the sweetened coconut.
- Repeat these layers, making sure to end with a “snowy” layer of coconut on the very top.
- Serve:
- Chill for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Serve in small ice cream plates or saucers as was traditional in 1867.
What Makes This the Original Ambrosia Recipe?
We cannot be sure that this is truly the original recipe. However, this is the earliest recipe anyone has been able to find. It is certain to be similar to other contemporary recipes for this salad, so we can safely say that it is the original.