the weirdness of mincemeat

Nonesuch Mincemeat has been around for over a century, and I bought some to make a Thanksgiving pie

It comes in dense little boxes which are lightly waxed shut.  Mincemeat in this form needs to be reconstituted in a pan with water.  It is a strange product, like something from a time capsule from the 1960s, or an item from an ethnic grocery store.  The boxes are small, like juice boxes.  Maybe that can be a new flavor of Juicy Juice or Capri Sun:  MINCEMEAT.  The kids'll love it.

It's like strong fruit cake filling, sticky and aromatic.  It is primarily a mixture of dried apples, raisins, vinegar, sugar, spices and a touch of BEEF - that's right, beef.  There is no taste of beef, thank God, but my guess is they use a bit of beef fat for richness.  Gross.