Utah is rumored, very widely, to be the #1 state for Jello consumption. Why do Mormons like Jello so much and especially Green Jello?

I think there are many not so rich people in Utah and Jell-O is a poor people food. It has not necessarily to do with Mormonism.

1) "The Mormon Corridor is a term for the areas of the Western North America that were settled between 1850 and approximately 1890 by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who are commonly known as Mormons.

In academic literature, the area is also commonly called the "Mormon culture region." It has also been referred to as the "Book of Mormon belt" as a cultural reference to the Bible Belt of the southeastern United States, and the Book of Mormon."

"The region has also been identified as the "Jell-O Belt", referring to the 20th century stereotype that Mormons have an affection for Jell-O (a gelatin-based food). In support of this image, Jell-O was designated Utah's official state snack food in 2001. When drafting the resolution, the Utah Legislature gave many reasons to recognize Jell-O, including that Utah had been the highest per capita consumer of Jell-O for many years, and how citizens of Utah had rallied to "Take Back the Title" after Des Moines, Iowa exceeded Utah in Jell-O consumption in 1999. The culture of Utah, petitions by Utahns, and campaigning by students of Brigham Young University were also mentioned as reasons for recognizing Jell-O."
Source and further information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_Corridor


2) "What it Means to be a Utah Mormon Top Ten List

- I don’t know how to describe one, but I know one when I see one.

- “Utah Mormons” take Mormonism to the extreme

- “Utah Mormons” are characterized by their explicitives (Gosh!, Darn!, Heck!, and Fetch!)

- “Utah Mormons” think General Authorities are like rock stars (my wife loved this one…she shared with me an experience she had a BYU when some of her friends waited to see Elder Eyring and get their pictures and his autograph. When they came back they were pumped and going crazy…like you’d see at a rock concert

- “Utah Mormons” love green Jell-o

- Except for being on a mission, a Utah Mormon has never ventured outside of the “Mormon Corridor”

- “Utah Mormons” are nice, kind, and loving people

- “Utah Mormons” may take for granted what they have

- “Utah Mormons” are innocent in their knowledge of other faiths and/or cultures

- A “Utah Mormon” is someone who would be content living in Utah County all of their days"
Source and further information:
http://graceforgrace.com/2008/04/28/utah-mormon-top-ten-list/


3) "It's more of a "Utah" Mormon thing then an overall "Mormon" thing. We grew up in homes where costs were cut on things including food. Jello was easy and cheap to make. That is why I think it became a Mormon staple food."
Source and further information:
http://nz.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080515143914AArsB9x


4) "A majority of the state's residents are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly referred to as the Mormons or the LDS Church. As of 2007, the percentage of Utahns that are counted as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is 60.7 percent of the state's population. Mormons are now a minority in Salt Lake City, while rural areas tend to be overwhelmingly Mormon."
Source and further information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah

It is interesting to notice that nearly 40% of the population are *not* Mormons.

Further information:
- "Mormons and Jell-O":
http://www.furiousblog.com/archives/129-TRAIL-Mormons-and-Jell-O.html
- "Utah Mormon Culture":
http://www.bordeglobal.com/foruminv/index.php?act=ST&f=118&t=17637&
- "Pertaining to Jell-O":
http://mormonfoodie.blogspot.com/2007/06/pertaining-to-jell-or.html
- "Mormons, what is the deal with Jello Salad?":
http://nz.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080515143914AArsB9x
- "funeral potatoes, green jello salad, zucchini casserole, homemade garlic pickles or Brigham's Brownies":
http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon065.htm
- "Popular Foods of Utah":
http://www.davis.k12.ut.us/staff/jozburn/files/A523FD092D7E40ACBB4C4BA695D9E84C.pdf
- "The Absolutely Worst Places to Live in America By Dave Gilmartin":
http://books.google.com/books?id=LYXsagdZTCgC&pg=PA197&lpg=PA197&dq="is+as+much+a+part+of+Utah+as+the+Great+Salt+Lake"&source=bl&ots=Wq4IYsUIdC&sig=P9txAmyYA9DUjJP5dM8RYkalIMg&hl=en&ei=MAq5ScjRE4uRsAavotynCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result
- "I heart Utah Mormons":
http://segullah.org/small-epiphanies/i-heart-utah-mormons/