Aspic is the glossy jelly around a terrine or a pork pie. The shine is gelatin from simmered bones and meat, which puts it firmly on the animal side.
Made fromMeat-stock gelatin
Also calledMeat jelly, aspic gelee
VerdictNot vegan
Where it hides
Terrines and pates
Pork pies and galantines
Some cold cuts and charcuterie
Traditional buffet dishes
What it is
Aspic is the clear, wobbling jelly that encases a terrine or lines a pork pie. It sets because a long-simmered meat or fish stock is rich in gelatin, the same collagen-derived protein that makes jelly set.
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or meat jelly is a savoury gelatin made with a meat stock or broth, set in a mold to encase other ingredients
Since aspic is defined by its gelatin, the classic version is never vegan. A cook who wants the same set from plants reaches for agar, the seaweed extract, which gels a vegetable stock into a firm, sliceable jelly.
GelatinGelatin is boiled animal collagen, usually from pig or cow skin and bone. There is no plant version; the plant swaps are agar, pectin and carrageenan.
CollagenCollagen is the scaffolding of animal bodies: skin, bone, connective tissue. There is no plant version, so every real collagen supplement is animal-derived, and vegan collagen is a different thing wearing the same name.
Agar (agar-agar, E406)Agar is the vegan answer to gelatin, a firm jelly set from seaweed. It has been doing this job in Asian kitchens for a very long time.
Frequently asked
What is aspic made from?
A savoury jelly set with gelatin from meat or fish stock. The gelatin comes from collagen in animal bones and connective tissue, so aspic is not vegan.
Can aspic be vegan?
Only if it is set with a plant gelling agent such as agar rather than gelatin. Traditional aspic is not vegan.
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