Food is one of the methods of celebration among the Amish. Sharing a meal or a snack is a great way to fellowship.
Drop in to visit an Amish family and they'll quickly invite you to share some popcorn and ice cream. It might be pretzels or chips. One always has to have something salty with ice cream. It's really special if it's hand cranked.
Share a meal and you won't go away hungry. If you do it's usually your fault. The foods are rich and tasty. Many of the vegetables are grown in their gardens. It helps to have your own produce when you have lots of kids. Meat often comes from the animals they butcher on the farm. It's a community tradition to butcher together, especially when doing a hog. Often they can their meat to preserve it since they don't have large freezers or refrigerators.
Most meals are topped off with desserts. They can range from a layered jello dessert to cake to ice cream to homemade pies. The sweet tooth reigns in Amish communities. Many of the recipes that are a hit with the visitors are improved by the addition of sugar while they are being made.
An Amish meal is usually served with water to drink. If you're from a different culture you may be used to having a variety of things to drink with your meal from ice tea to milk to coffee. Its water for the Amish. But don't forget to have a cup of coffee after dessert while you sit around to chat. Meadow tea is also a favorite. The mint is picked from the garden and boiled to bring out the flavor. Then water is added to weaken the brew and it makes a great refresher for the afternoon.
There are several foods that originate or have found their home in the Amish communities. One of the favorites is the peanut butter spread found in many local restaurants. It's made of peanut butter and marshmallow spread. Another is apple butter. Its eaten on the freshly baked bread or spread on cottage cheese for a treat. Try scrapple some time with apple butter for another traditional favorite.
If you're not from this area or another Amish community you might think that cheese is the orange plastic stuff individually wrapped that you find in your supermarket. Not here! There are so many cheese houses and varieties of cheese. One of the cheeses originating here is Baby Swiss Cheese. In case you haven't heard yet, it was made to go together with Trail Bologna, made in Trail between Walnut Creek and Winesburg.
Food and fund raisers go together in Amish communities. Money is raised for someone facing medical expenses or other kind of financial strain. There are also benefits for parochial schools. You may smell chicken being grilled. It called barbequed chicken but it is basted with a butter, vinegar and salt mix rather than a tomato based sauce. It's done if you can twist the bone and have the chicken fall off. Another favorite is called a hay stack meal. You may know it by another name. It starts with rice. Pile on chips, beans, shredded cheese and other condiments then top it with a special tomato based sauce.
Amish Door Restaurant
Boyd & Worthman
Broad Run Cheese
Heinis Gourmet Market
Heinis Cheese Chalet
Coblentz Chocolate
Guggisberg Cheese
Hershberger Farm & Bakery
Miller's Dry Goods
Sugar Valley Meats
FAQs
Traditional Amish food includes dishes like tasty roasted chicken, creamy mashed potatoes & gravy, seasoned vegetables, fresh bread, and homemade jam. The Amish are also known for excellent baked goods, especially pies, cookies, breads, cakes, and fry pies.
Can the Amish drink coffee? ›
Conclusion. So the Amish do indeed drink coffee, and it's an important part of their culture. Coffee is as Amish as horse and buggies and wicker basket weaving.
How do Amish keep food cold without electricity? ›
Using a cold stream, they keep perishable food that needs to be kept cold but not frozen from spoiling. The stream is corralled into a stone trough that serves as a “chilling bath” for the food. The Amish have used this method for centuries to keep their fruit and vegetables fresh.
Can Amish eat pizza? ›
The Amish Have No Dietary Restrictions
Having no dietary restrictions means they can eat whatever their heart desires.
Do the Amish breast feed? ›
After giving birth, Amish mothers breastfeed their babies for as long as possible. It's believed that this helps strengthen the bond between mother and child, which is important in this close-knit culture. It also gives them the nutrients they need to grow strong and healthy.
Can Amish take showers? ›
The Amish can still take a hot shower, they simply hook up their hot water tank to a gas or propane fueled energy source. While some use those energy sources to power washing machines, laundry day can become an all-day event for other families who use traditional washboards.
Can Amish people kiss? ›
The Amish also believe marriage should be between a man and a woman. Same-sex relationships are not allowed within the Amish community. Unmarried Amish men and women aren't supposed to have any physical contact with each other. This includes kissing, hugging, and even holding hands.
What do Amish eat for breakfast? ›
Amish Cooking: 8 Amish Recipes for Breakfast
- Barn Raising Breakfast. Our hearty Amish recipe is guaranteed to give you lots of energy to start the day. ...
- Fruit-Filled Coffee Cake. ...
- Amish Applesauce Cake. ...
- Amish Church Spread. ...
- Amish Streusel Cake. ...
- Apea Cake. ...
- Hootenanny Pancake. ...
- Shortcut Amish Friendship Bread.
Generally the ice would be cut from an area pond during winter and the ice house would be insulated well enough that it would stay cold through the summer. Some Amish still do this. In Berne, Indiana's Amish community, however, the ice houses have been replaced with 'freezer houses.” What are these?
Do Amish eat canned food? ›
Peaches, pears, apples, and cherries are canned to enjoy year-round. Green beans, corn, peas, and carrots are common canned vegetables. Sauerkraut. Fermented foods like sauerkraut are another popular canning tradition with the Amish.
Yes, the Amish bathe, but they often do it without electricity, and sometimes without indoor plumbing. They usually heat the water on a stove in order to have a warm bath. This labor-intensive process is one reason that the Amish don't normally bathe every day.
Why don't Amish have mirrors? ›
They don't live without mirrors. However, they use mirrors differently from many other people. The Amish use mirrors for purely practical reasons. For women, this includes making sure that their head covering is pinned securely, and for men, it's primarily about helping them shave their moustaches.
Are there fat Amish? ›
Including other forms of manual labor–lifting, chopping, sowing, planting–the Amish are six times as active as a random sample of people from 12 countries. One result of this is that only about 4% of Amish people are obese, compared with 36.5% of the overall U.S. population.
Do Amish have social security numbers? ›
While the Amish are governed by the law, they don't want to have social security numbers. However, they do get one when they join the church as an adult. Because the Amish come from the Anabaptist tradition, they believe that you should be baptized as an adult when you're fully able to consent.
What is traditional Amish food? ›
Grains, dairy, and locally sourced meats play a pivotal role in the Amish diet. These ingredients are staples cultivated, harvested, and processed within their communities. In a world where farm-to-table is a luxury, for the Amish, it's simply a way of life.
Is there anything the Amish don't eat? ›
The Amish don't have any eating restrictions or rules. Individuals can eat anywhere, ranging from large food chains to local restaurants. Discover Amish-owned restaurants in Lancaster County and dive into an array of delectable meals.
Do the Amish eat a lot of sugar? ›
The Amish do use sugar. It's a common ingredient in their meals, and not only the sweet treats. However, this sugar intake is balanced out by the fact that they don't consume sugars in processed foods and sodas like non-Amish tend to do.
