Scrapple is a savory mush of pork scraps and trimmings combined with cornmeal and flour, often buckwheat flour. The mush is formed into a loaf, and slices of the scrapple are then fried before serving. Scraps of meat left over from butchering, too small to be used or sold elsewhere, were made into scrapple to avoid waste. Scrapple is best known as a regional food of Delaware, South Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. You can read more on Wikipedia.I am posting this because tonight at Jana's birthday party I asked if anyone had ever heard of this, and they said no. I was shocked. I ever had a fellow east-coaster at the party and I know at least one of the other attenders lived on the East Coast for a while. I didn't realize that this 'savory mush' has such a small region of existence, but now I know.
I grew up eating this occasionally, and the Wikipedia article honestly kind of makes me want to gag. Mainly because of the parts of the pig it includes and also because it mentions the fact that it is gelled into a loaf form. I remember it having a distinct flavor if not more of an extremely distinct texture. The only way I can describe it is that is is a meat flavored slab that has a firm outer layer, but inside it is kind of the texture of mashed potatoes or a hash brown.
Can you say yummy?
Not really though. It's a pretty gross concept overall. My mom never bought it but I definitely had a my fair share of this regional delight when I was coming of age.
I wonder if it is much worse than eating hot dogs?
2 comments:
Culinarily speaking, I think this is a kind of terrine. So not quite like a hot dog, which is a forcemeat.
If an animal has to die I like the idea that everything gets used, not just the pretty parts. Some of the heartiest cuisine in the world it born of eating the nasty bits because of poverty.
Actually I DID buy it in a few moments of trying to cook it for John F Adkins...but really didn't ever try to cook it too much in the overall grand landscape of life. MY mom, your mom mom cooked it well for pop pop. Even pop pop cooked it sometimes pretty darn well. Pop pop liked Rapa brand, and John F. Adkins like Kirby and Holloway and used to buy it in the oversize bundled supersize pack at Sam's club. I can still eat a slice now and then with scrambled eggs and rye toast at Olympia Restaurant in Berlin. Not so much anymore after reading all of this fine detail.
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