“My name’s Joyce,” drawls a neighbor to Edward Scissorhands, “and I noticed that you have not tasted any of the ambrosia salad that I made especially for you.”
Johnny Depp’s character in the 1990 cult film opens wide to receive a giant spoonful of the fluffy pink-tinged fruit confection.
He manages an “mmm” as he chews, but not before viewers are treated to a food-sexy little scene involving Joyce’s disembodied hands laboriously preparing the dish, which has a long history and passionate protectors.
Mostly a holiday treat for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, ambrosia of yore was a humble delight. At least when compared to Joyce’s version or many of the fluffy parties in fancy bowls seen now on TikTok and Instagram.
In 1867, Maria Massey Barringer of Concord, North Carolina, provided a recipe in her “Dixie Cookery; or, How I Managed My Table for Twelve Years.” She counseled readers to stick to fresh grated coconut,
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