Pennsylvania Scrapple

“[Strauss] traces the history and culture of the Pennsylvania Dutch staple and checks-in on chefs who are creating exciting new ways to eat it.” —Philly Grub

The name may remind you of a certain word-based board game, but scrapple has been an essential food in Mid-Atlantic kitchens for hundreds of years, the often-overlooked king of breakfast meats. Developed by German settlers of Pennsylvania, scrapple was made from the “scraps” of meat cut from the day’s butchering to avoid waste. Pork trimmings were stewed until tender, ground like sausage, and blended with broth, cornmeal, and buckwheat flour. Crispy slabs of scrapple sustained the Pennsylvanians through the frigid winter months and brutal harvest months, providing them with a high-energy and tasty breakfast meal that people enjoy even today.

“Strauss digs deep into what makes the divisive breakfast staple so misunderstood, yet so important to its home state.” —Lehigh Valley Live