10 gruesome foods your grandparents ate regularly that most people have forgotten

While tripe is still a popular cuisine across Europe, it’s certainly not something you’d find on a menu over here, and we’re pretty glad about that. For those not in the know, tripe is essentially the stomach of animals like cows or sheep, and is also regarded as a hangover cure.

Given that prime cuts of meat were in high demand, sometimes tripe stew was favoured by the lower classes due to its cheapness, and the ingredient was never rationed during the war. However, while the idea of eating a stomach might turn, well, your stomach, the dish was actually high in protein and low in carbs, and when cooked for lengths of time (in a stew, for example), its chewy texture became far less noticeable.

However, as intensive farming took off following the war and prime cuts of meat became less expensive, tripe fell out of fashion.

While beef remains a key component in many people’s diets, tongue is not something that people regularly eat. However, when our grandparents were growing up, it was a key item found on deli counters.

Previous generations had a ‘nothing-goes-to-waste’ attitude when it came to meat, like with the tripe stew above, and tongue was just another thing to have on the dinner table. It often made up a cold meat platter or was sliced for sandwiches.

However, modern attitudes are definitely against eating tongue, and the gruesome item would certainly stand out on a modern supermarket shelf. On top of that, it had a rigorous production process, taking many days before it was ready to be eaten. Given that convenience trumps all, it’s no surprise this fell out of favour with manufacturers.

Don’t be fooled by the name; there are no olives in this classic meat dish, which is instead made up of slices of beef wrapped around stuffing, almost like a meat version of a roulade.

While some things favoured by our grandparents might seem better left forgotten, this delicacy actually sounds quite nice, and was often paired with vegetables and mashed potatoes.

However, these finicky mains weren’t the easiest food to produce, and as easier things started making their way onto our shopping shelves, beef olives fell out of favour.

While it’s a shame that beef olives are no longer produced, I can’t say that I can stomach the idea of mock turtle soup. The upper classes dined on turtle soup, but the working classes could never afford such an exotic dish, instead opting for this version.

This staple of our grandparents’ dinner table featured no turtles, and was instead made up of calf’s head, brains and organ meats, hardly an appetising choice for modern-day diners. However, with its rich herbs and sauces, the dish was still enjoyed as a hearty comfort meal.

Mock turtle soup has now gone the way of real turtle soup, but while conservation efforts stopped the latter, diner habits instead ended the former, with people no longer willing to eat brains and calf’s heads on a large enough scale.

While both pineapple and cottage cheese remain popular among diners, none of us are rushing to combine the pair, although our grandparents favoured this as a light snack or side dish.

The combination is surprisingly a healthy option, with a major protein boost from the cottage cheese, while the pineapples help to supply Vitamin C and other healthy enzymes that aid digestion.

They could sometimes be made with gelatin molds that had a major surge in popularity, before being dismissed as too kitschy. On top of that, as the Mediterranean diet became ever more popular, people often chose Greek yogurt over cream cheese. These days, pineapples and cream cheese are definitely enjoyed separately.

Mock apple pie was a mainstay dessert when it came to World War II, and as per its name, it featured no apples. Instead, it was made from crackers, sugar, cream of tartar, water and lemon juice all encased inside a pastry.

The dish actually dates back to the 19th century, predating the Great Depression and both World Wars. Thanks to how the Ritz crackers would absorb liquid, the snack took on the texture of apples, meaning it was still quite a tasty dessert.

But when you can afford real apple pie, why would you choose the mock version?