United States Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch Cuisine

A plate of scrapple

Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine is the typical and traditional fare of the Pennsylvania Dutch, and it has had a considerable influence on the areas in which they originally settled, Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania, as well as the neighboring areas that they have migrated to over time. Though its base strongly reflects their German heritage, it has developed into a distinctly different cuisine over the centuries that they have lived in America; it also manifests their simple, largely agricultural lifestyles, the resources made available to them in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, as well as the various regional and religious backgrounds from which they stem. As they hated to waste anything, Pennsylvania Dutch cooks often made use of food parts otherwise discarded, including pig organs and scraps and watermelon rind. Even today, Amish diets are considerably low in processed foods.

A common aspect of Pennsylvania Dutch meals, especially maintained by Amish families today, is a centuries-old emphasis on the seven sweets and seven sours, stemming from archaic European custom and the belief that everything should be properly balanced. Before the typically large families, and especially in the presence of company, seven various pickled foods, relishes, and spreads were laid out on the table alongside the starchy, hearty, filling dishes as part of the evening meal. These delicacies were enjoyed as accompaniments or by themselves. In the absence of refrigeration, they could be prepared in the summer and preserved in jars through the winter months. Beyond the home, some tourist-oriented restaurants and annual festivals in Pennsylvania Dutch

The Amish eat a hearty breakfast. For the families of Amish farmers, the day starts early, with breakfast served around 6:00 A.M. A typical Amish breakfast might include eggs, cornmeal mush, pancakes, and homemade canned fruit.

Amish schools do not have cafeterias, so all of the students take packed lunches to school. Lunches usually include sandwiches made with bologna or leftover meat from dinner, such as beef roast or meat loaf. Peanut butter and jelly, pizza, or other leftovers may also be eaten. In the winter, homemade soups are taken to school in Thermos bottles, which keep them hot. Sometimes a casserole is taken to school in a wide-mouthed Thermos bottle. Lunches also include fresh fruit and home-baked cookies, cake, or pie for dessert. One popular dessert is an Amish specialty called Whoopie Pie, a cookie sandwich with icing in the middle.

On evenings and weekends, when the whole family is home, the main meal of the day (dinner, or "Middaagesse") is eaten at midday. On these days, a light supper is eaten in the evening.

At the end of the school year, Amish children have a picnic. Their parents take casseroles, salads, cakes, candies, and puddings to school. Often a tablecloth is thrown over the bottom of a big farm wagon. The food is spread out on top and everyone eats heartily.

Popular Amish snacks include soft pretzels, peanut butter and molasses spread on bread or crackers, and ice cream made from freshly fallen snow.

Instead of going to church, the Amish hold religious services in different people's homes every Sunday morning. After the service, there is a large Sunday lunch. A typical menu for this meal is homemade bread with butter, jelly or peanut butter; cheese cubes or a type of homemade cottage cheese called schmierkase ; pickles; an apple pie called schnitz pie; and coffee or tea.

The Amish are known for their strong family ties. Large family reunions are important occasions that include a bountiful Amish meal, with everyone bringing something. Like church services, Amish weddings are held at home. After the ceremony, a big festive meal is served on long tables set up all over the first floor of the house.

Special rectangular doughnuts called Fassnacht Kuche are baked on Shrove Tuesday, a day before the beginning of Lent. Mashed potatoes are used in the batter, making the doughnuts moist and tender. They are served with black coffee.

Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch - Hog maw

  Hog maw on sale

Hog maw is the stomach of a pig. More specifically, it is the lining of the stomach, it is very muscular and contains no fat, if cleaned properly. It can be found in soul food, Chinese, Pennsylvania Dutch, Mexican, Portuguese and Italian dishes. In addition, it can be prepared in various ways including stewed, fried, baked, and broiled.

Hog maw (sometimes called "Pig's Stomach" or "Susquehanna Turkey" or "Pennsylvania Dutch Goose") is a Pennsylvania Dutch dish. In the Pennsylvania German language, it is known as "Seimaaga",originating from its German name Saumagen. It is made from a cleaned pig's stomach traditionally stuffed with cubed potatoes and loose pork sausage. Other ingredients include cabbage, onions, and spices. It was traditionally boiled in a large pot covered in water, not unlike Scottish haggis, but it can also be baked or broiled until browned or split, then it is drizzled with butter before serving. It is usually served hot on a platter cut into slices or cold as a sandwich. Often served in the winter, it was made on hog butchering days on the farms of Lancaster and Berks Counties and elsewhere in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country.

It remains a traditional New Year's Day side dish for many Pennsylvania German families; in fact, many families believe that it is bad luck if not even a small piece is consumed on New Year's Day, as is the case with pork and sauerkraut. The stomach is purchased at one of the many traditional butchers at local farmers' markets. The original recipe was most likely brought to Pennsylvania from the Palatinate area of Germany, where it is called Saumagen and served with sauerkraut, another Pennsylvania Dutch food. Indeed, Saumagen is reported to be a favorite of former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, a native of the Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) Region.

Hog Maw

Ingredients:
4 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large pork stomach
1 1/2 pounds bulk pork sausage
  
1 medium head cabbage, separated into
leaves and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1.     Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place the potatoes into a large pan with enough lightly salted water to cover them. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and let cool.
2.     Wash the pork stomach thoroughly in cold water. Alternate stuffing the pork stomach with potatoes, sausage, and cabbage, seasoning with a little salt and pepper, until the stomach is full. Try to make even layers, imagining how it will look when it is done and you slice it. Fold closed, and place in a shallow roasting pan. If you have any leftover stuffing ingredients, just place them in the pan around the outside.
3.     Roast uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until the sausage is cooked through and the stomach is browned and crispy. When done, slice into 2 inch slices and serve piping hot. You can make gravy out of the drippings if desired, but it is good by itself as a whole meal.