Aspic is a savory jelly made from meat stock and sometimes supplemented with gelatin to ensure that it sets. The food has a long culinary history, and appears in the form of molded dishes, as a garnish, and as a glaze on some foods. It is also notoriously challenging and sometimes smelly to work with, leading some cooks to avoid it, if possible. Aspic is closely associated with traditional French cuisine and formal dining, and enjoyed an explosion of popularity in the mid twentieth century.

Recipes from as far back as medieval England suggest that cooks understood the potential properties of a clarified meat broth. Savory jellies preceded sweets by a significant number of years. Cooks were making aspic from a wide range of meats and suggesting an assortment of recipes which included it. To make aspic, meat such as beef, pork, poultry, or fish is cooked slowly to make a dense broth or consomme. The broth is strained and clarified with egg white until it is clear. Depending on the meat used, the broth may be supplemented with gelatin to complement the natural gelatin in the meat. Tomato aspic, a variation on meat aspic, is made with tomato juice and gelatin. Unlike regular aspic, tomato aspic is opaque.

After cooking, aspic can be poured into molds to be used as a standalone garnish, or it can be molded with a variety of inclusions, typically meats and savory vegetables. The aspic is allowed to cool so that it sets and is usually served cold, as heat will cause the aspic to liquefy. When used as a garnish, aspic is cubed into small portions to be eaten along with the main meal. When aspic is used in a molded dish, each diner is offered an individually molded aspic creation, or a slice of a large aspic mold. Aspic is also used to glaze foods, giving them a glassy look.

The flavor of aspic is savory and rich, and it is often supplemented with herbs and other additions by the cooks. In appearance, some people find aspic as a main dish a bit unappealing, since it usually takes the form of a solid block with murky inclusions of meats and vegetables. Working with aspic is a good learning experience for cooks who want to explore traditional culinary arts, since it takes time to learn to handle it well. It can also be an interesting topic of conversation at the dinner table, especially when cooks stud it with unusual or fun ingredients.