Scrapple facts for kids
A plate of scrapple
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| Alternative names | Pon haus, Krepples |
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| Type | Mush |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Mid-Atlantic states |
| Main ingredients | mush of pork, cornmeal, flour, buckwheat flour, spices |
| 119 per 2 ounces kcal | |
Scrapple is a special food from the U.S., especially popular in the Mid-Atlantic states. People in places like Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia enjoy it. It's also called Pannhaas by the Pennsylvania Dutch people, which means "pan rabbit."
Scrapple is made from pork meat pieces and trimmings. These are mixed with cornmeal, wheat flour (sometimes buckwheat flour), and different spices. This mixture is cooked into a thick mush. Then, it's shaped into a loaf and allowed to cool down. When it's ready to eat, slices of the loaf are pan-fried until they are crispy and golden brown. This food was first made to use up all parts of the meat from butchering, so nothing went to waste.
Scrapple and panhaas are often seen as a traditional food of the Pennsylvania Dutch. This group includes the Mennonites and Amish communities. You can find scrapple in many supermarkets in these regions, both fresh and frozen.
What Is Scrapple Made Of?
Scrapple is usually made from different parts of a hog, like the head, heart, and liver. These parts are boiled with bones to create a flavorful broth. After cooking, the bones and extra fat are taken out. The meat is saved, and dry cornmeal is cooked in the broth to make a thick mush.
The cooked meat is then finely chopped and added back to the pot. Spices are mixed in, such as sage, thyme, savory, and black pepper. The exact amounts of spices and ingredients can change depending on the region or the cook's taste. Once the mush is ready, it's poured into loaf pans and cooled until it becomes firm.
Some companies also make scrapple using beef or turkey instead of pork. They often add color to these versions to make them look like traditional pork scrapple. Because of the many ingredients used, people sometimes joke that scrapple is made from "everything but the oink!"
How to Cook Scrapple
Scrapple is typically cut into slices that are about 1/4 to 3/4 inches (0.6 to 1.9 cm) thick. These slices are then pan-fried until they turn brown and form a crispy crust. Sometimes, people lightly coat the slices with flour before frying them.
You can fry scrapple in butter or oil. Some people even deep-fry it for an extra crispy texture. Another way to cook it is by broiling, which also makes the outside very crisp.
Scrapple is most often eaten as a side dish for breakfast. You can enjoy it plain, or you can add different toppings. Some popular choices include apple butter, ketchup, jelly, maple syrup, honey, or mustard.
The History of Scrapple
The word "scrapple" comes from "scrap," which refers to how it's made from leftover meat pieces. The idea for scrapple comes from old European cooking traditions, even going back to pre-Roman times.
A closer ancestor of scrapple is a Low German dish called Pannhaas. German colonists who settled near Philadelphia and Chester County, Pennsylvania in the 1600s and 1700s adapted this dish. They used ingredients that were available in their new home. This is why scrapple is strongly connected to areas around Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. It's also popular in Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and parts of Southern New York.
The Delmarva Peninsula celebrates scrapple every year. They have an "Apple Scrapple Festival" in Bridgeville, Delaware, during the second weekend of October. This festival celebrates the food's popularity in the region.
See also
In Spanish: Scrapple para niños
