Distinctive flavors from Amish Country

  • By Kyle Valentini
  • November 14, 2011
  • 368
                        
Summary: Few things exemplify Amish Country more than the food served at the restaurants, church socials and family gatherings in the region. The flavors celebrate the rich agriculture and the pride of local ingredients used to create unique dishes found only in the heart of Amish Country. Food created by people who believe faith and family come first will keep you coming back to enjoy the flavors and hospitality that is unmatched. Take a bit home with you when you purchase homemade and hand crafted items at one of the many retailers in the region. Amish Country is known for many things; the rolling hills of sustainably farmed land, the familiar black horse-drawn buggies that share the roads with your modern vehicles, the strong spirit of faith and family and of course, the stick to your ribs kind of food that visitors travel for miles to enjoy. It is the food of Amish County that nourishes its residents and it is the food that draws visitors from all over to savor the flavors that come from the hearts and hands that create these memorable flavors. Fortunately for visitors, the taste of Amish Country can find its way to your home when you frequent the restaurants, shops and bakeries in the region. Apple Butter and Peanut Butter Spread Still made the old fashioned way in many Amish homes, apple butter is traditionally made by women in groups. A thick brown spread made by cooking apples with sugar and spices in cider, the process is time consuming. Using large kettles, the apples are carefully simmered until they become a coarse dark mass. Long wooden paddles are used to stir the butter and great care is taken so as not to scorch the apples. The apple butter is cooled for a short time and then forced through hand food mills or a coarse sieve to make a smooth butter. Cinnamon is added to flavor the fruit butter before it is divided among the women to take home where they will can it for winter storage. Of course, you can still take the taste of Amish Country home with you as many Amish families sell their delicious apple butter at farm stands and markets. The region is also home to commercial manufacturers of apple butter that is made with great care and local ingredients. Amish Peanut Butter Spread is sometimes called Church Spread because it is often included in the meal provided by the host of the Sunday church service. The beige, soft, frosting-like mixture is delicious on homemade bread and is often combined with other things you normally would not eat with peanut butter. It’s easy to make this Amish favorite. 1 18-ounce jar peanut butter 2 cups light corn syrup 1 13-ounce jar marshmallow cream In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and beat vigorously until well blended. Fry Pie If you have never had a fry pie you are in for a treat, an indulgent, overly sweet treat of flaky dough filled with sugar-sweetened fruit and then deep fried and coated in a powdered sugar glaze. Fry pies can be filled with just about any fruit or even a combination of fruit. Apple, cherry, grape, lemon, peach and strawberry are all popular flavors and because they are easily held in the hand, they require nothing but a sweet tooth to eat. Because the Amish can a lot of what is grown in the garden and orchard, fry pies can be made year round with ingredients from the pantry. The region is filled with bakeries that make fry pies, each with a recipe that was probably handed down from mother to daughter many generations ago and will be handed down again when a young Amish girl learns to bake. Broasted Chicken Broasted chicken combines pressure cooking and deep frying with marinated, breaded chicken. The goal is to make chicken that is tender and juicy on the inside while being crispy on the outside. In Amish Country there are several restaurants that claim to have the best Broasted chicken around. The only way to know for sure is to try them all. In addition to the chicken you will also find delicious side dishes like homemade noodles, real mashed potatoes and fantastic desserts. Trail Bologna Trail Bologna gets its name from the tiny town of Trail, Ohio which gets its name from the trail blazed by Native American’s in what was then Ohio wilderness. A secret recipe that has been used since 1912 to produce a ring bologna like no other you have had before, Trail Bologna is produced at the unassuming factory in the hills of Holmes County. More than 50 tons of Trail Bologna is made each month with that number doubling during the holidays. The Troyer Family claims their great-great grandfather, Michael Troyer created the recipe but folklore says he purchased the recipe from the Weiss family of Trail. Regardless of where the specially seasoned, all-beef bologna recipe came from it is a staple in the region and beyond as it is commonly shipped to friends and family all over the globe. Typically served alongside Swiss cheese, Trail Bologna is also available infused with cheddar cheese and hot pepper cheese. A turkey variety is available and Troyer’s will also process your venison using the famous recipe that is absolutely the taste of Amish Country.


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