If you've been lucky enough to experience Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, then you've also been lucky enough to witness centuries of traditions that are still continued to this day. Lancaster County is one of the most well-known Amish communities in the US but it's also home to the place where Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine first thrived in America. These treasured dishes are still made to this day and hold so much meaning behind the recipes for the generations they've been passed down to.
If you visit Lancaster County now, don't be surprised if one or two (or more) of these dishes pop up throughout your time there. Sometimes, through food, we're offered a gateway through which to look through and see a different era - and that's exactly what Pennsylvania Dutch dishes evoke for all who try them.
Red Beet Eggs
Red beet eggs are often eaten as a snack or a treat to bring on outings thanks to the fact that they're super portable and can be made very quickly. Also known as pickled eggs, these hard-boiled eggs are cooked and then placed in a brine of beet juice, sugar, cider vinegar, and salt. The result is an egg that's similar in flavor to a pickled beet with a sweet undertone and a gorgeous gem-colored hue.
Dandelion Greens
Dandelion greens are used throughout Pennsylvania Dutch cooking as they're found in abundance in the countryside. They're incredibly healthy and provide a wealth of nutrients and hold up well to heavy dressings and heat. While the greens themselves are quite bitter, by combining with them a flavorful, salty, and sweet vinaigrette, such as warm bacon dressing, the bitterness is cut down by half and what's left is a delicious salad that exudes flavor and freshness.
Schnitz un Knepp
Throughout Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, you'll notice many dishes that call for both sweet and sour notes. Schnitz un Knepp is another dish that calls for this same flavor profile and makes use of apples and dumplings to do that. These are both paired with either a pork shoulder or a ham before brown sugar is added to emphasize its sweet flavor notes, playing well with the dried apple and the savory dumplings.
Spaetzle
Spaetzle is popular throughout Eastern Europe and many know it well from Austria, where it's a popular side to accompany sausages and other entrees. In Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, this miniature dumpling-pasta hybrid side is boiled and when it's fully cooked, it's then pan-fried in butter and served with a pinch of nutmeg.
Ham Balls
Ham balls are a delicious dish and perhaps one of the finest examples of sweet, savory, and salty in Pennsylvania Dutch cooking. This balance is always achieved and ham balls provide the most perfect balance between the three. Made with ham and occasionally pork, these ham 'meatballs' are rolled and cooked and are then topped with a pineapple glaze.
Gumbis
It might have a strange name but gumbis is one of the most popular casserole dishes in Lancaster County. This casserole can be made in one of two ways, depending on a person's personal preference: By layering the ingredients one by one or by combining them all before baking in a casserole dish. The casserole itself is quite simple and includes cabbage, meat, onions, and dried apples, or another dried fruit. The result, once again, is a savory and sweet casserole that's great during the colder months.
Shoofly Pie
Interestingly, shoofly pie wasn't always eaten as a dessert. When it first appeared in America, it was eaten mainly for breakfast as it resembles more of a coffee or crumb cake than an actual pie. The base of this pie consists of molasses that's topped with a pastry crumble, covering the cake-like layer in between the two. The only difference between a crumb cake and this pie is the layer of traditional pie crust that lines the bottom of the dessert.
Fasnachts
The day before Lent is called Fat Tuesday and it's the last day before fasting begins. In Lancaster County, specifically, rather than eating doughnuts (as is traditional), the Pennsylvania Dutch would make fasnachts, which were a great way to use up whatever lard was left in the home before Lent began. When translated, fasnachts means 'night before the fast,' and these traditional doughnut-like sweets were created just for that reason. Traditionally, they're served covered in sugar or cut in half and spread with molasses.
Apple Dumplings
Traditional Pennsylvania Dutch apple dumplings are not what many people think of when they think of dumplings. While most would think of something akin to an apple fritter, traditional apple dumplings are made with an entire apple that's been peeled, cored, and halved, and is then tossed in brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon before being wrapped with a piece of pastry dough and baked.