Food History
Why Scrapple Is The Mystery Meat of My Dreams
Over 400 years old and still trending, scrapple is rustic, locally grown, and—oh yeah—literally snout-to-tail.
Photo by @haltemanfamilymeats/Instagram
Popular on Food52
38 Comments
Darby E.
June 10, 2020
Grew up in MD. Had a great uncle who owned a farm and made his own scrapple. He used to fry it up in a heavy cast iron skillet on an old wood burning stove. Delish!! The cast iron skillet is the key to get a good crisp piece of scrapple.
Patti S.
April 27, 2020
Habbersett's from Philadelphia is definitely the best scrapple! It came wrapped i a red and white paper. Its still available.
Diana G.
April 26, 2020
My Nana was German American and grew up in York County, PA. We grew up with scrapple and King syrup. I can’t thank you enough for this recipe. I’ll make it for my 88 yr old Mom. We live in FL now. There is a restaurant from Philly here in Fort Myers that serves scrapple and steak sandwiches with Amorosa rolls and Birch beer.
Jenny
April 3, 2020
I went shopping yesterday, for the first time in 3 weeks, the isolation thing. Decided I needed a treat and opted for scrapple over a bag of cookies. The only brand available was from Brooklyn??? The seasoning was a bit mild for my taste, but not bad...with a fried egg, applesauce and sauted dandelions...old home comfort food for me.
Mercy D.
April 2, 2020
How funny! I was shopping today and glancing longingly at the Scrapple because it had been so long since I’d had it. I, too, grew up in Chester County, PA and we only ate Habbersett. I’m always amazed by how many people won’t even try it. They have no clue what they’re missing.
Jenny
March 31, 2020
I love scrapple for breakfast lunch or dinner. It was a staple growing up in north New Jersey in the 1950's. We always ate it with a side of home made applesauce.
Kimberly B.
March 30, 2020
I’m from MD, 1 mile from the PA border and 5 miles from DE. Grew up on scrapple and still love it! Even when I went vegan for a while in college, when I went home I ate scrapple. Now I live in Indiana, in an area where there’s a big Amish population. They sell scrapple from Lancaster in the Amish stores and I always buy it up. My husband, who’s from East Chicago, hates scrapple with every ounce of his being. If only I could find King syrup out here.... that’s what we always put on our scrapple.
ellen C.
March 29, 2020
I grew up in rural Virginia. My parents ate it and I love it! I used to get it fresh, but now can only find one brand in grocery stores. Would love some fresh from Pa!
Faith K.
March 29, 2020
Grew up with it in Chester County PA. Had to be Habersett's.
***** Note to those trying it for the first time, slice it thin and DON'T FOOL WITH IT until you can see it's good and brown on the bottom side. The wonderful mystery is that the outside gets a thin layer which is just as crispy as a good gingersnap while the inside is soft and creamy. So good.
***** Note to those trying it for the first time, slice it thin and DON'T FOOL WITH IT until you can see it's good and brown on the bottom side. The wonderful mystery is that the outside gets a thin layer which is just as crispy as a good gingersnap while the inside is soft and creamy. So good.
Amanda C.
March 29, 2020
Gotta put in a shout-out for scrapple! I'd never had it before I moved to the East Coast, but I was predisposed. I'm from the Cincy area, where we have goetta. Goetta is a mixture of animal parts and oats...it is is delicious. Scrapple is a good backup when I feel nostalgic.
Stephanie M.
March 29, 2020
I’m from Philly soooo...I grew up on scrapple. Love it! Still cook it at least once a month. Has to be Habbersett brand and must be the original (not beef or turkey). I like it cut medium thick and fried crisp. When you put it in the pan leave it alone! Cook for about 3-5min and then flip. This method keeps it from falling apart.
Doug R.
March 26, 2020
My family is from the Midwest; our family's variant on scrapple is "pan hash." Essentially the same, only thickened with oatmeal, and with spices such as cinnamon, rather than savory herbs (I prefer the savory, myself, but my mom always makes me promise not to change the recipe when I make it for the family...). My grandmother made it from the organ and head meat, like they did on the farm during the Great Depression; we make it from pork roast.
LadyDiTejas
March 20, 2020
My granny was a scrapple eater. Might have to try my hand at making it at home! Thanks for the memories and recipe.
Sarah
March 20, 2020
Love it thinly sliced and fried crispy. Just saw scrapple fries, scrapple cut into strips and fried. Gotta try it!
Heather G.
March 19, 2020
You forgot to mention the two camps for scrapple eaters (I am from Lancaster, PA). Folks here eat it with either maple syrup on top, or ketchup...rarely unadorned.. Everyone is quite passionate about their choice, and look down their noses at "the other side" :) Anyone on Food 52 have an opinion?
Eileen
March 29, 2020
We love ketchup in my family, though it must be said that as far as my hubby is concerned ketchup should have it's own food group, LOL!
Vincent B.
January 30, 2021
For me it is the yolk of an over easy egg. Only recently I tried it with,syrup. Just made first batch. Step mom was from Norristown,PA and they bought it from the butcher.
HalfPint
March 18, 2020
I’ve heard about scrapple and now I’m totally intrigued. Fried up, it looks delicious. Before frying, not so much. But if @Antonia James says it’s good then I can’t wait to try it 😁
Andrew J.
March 18, 2020
In NYC , you can get a cheesesteak almost anywhere, but ask for Scrapple? Huh?The reaction is worse when you explain what it is ... " You eat that"?!
RAPA brand is more popular in Delaware ( where its made) but in Philly, Habbersett rules the diner sidedish. Insider's note: A brand made by Kirby-Holloway is far tastier than either brand , but is impossible to find north of Wilmington.
RAPA brand is more popular in Delaware ( where its made) but in Philly, Habbersett rules the diner sidedish. Insider's note: A brand made by Kirby-Holloway is far tastier than either brand , but is impossible to find north of Wilmington.
Gammy
April 29, 2020
Former Delawarean.... Rapa... or Kirby-Holloway... or Habbersett's... I'm not THAT choosy, just fry me up a couple pieces!
AntoniaJames
March 18, 2020
I grew up in rural Fairfax County VA (back when there was such a thing). My mother, whose mother was born and raised in Philadelphia, always bought scrapple at the local Safeway. I loved the stuff and can vividly recalled the taste and texture. I've made my own in the past. When I can get great locally sourced pork again, whenever the farmers markets open this spring or summer, I plan to do so again.
FrugalCat, we had something called "Taylor's Pork Roll"which I think is related to Taylor Ham. That too was delicious. Those two, scrapple and "TPR" were among the many simple but delightful foods I sort of took for granted growing up. (I didn't realize until I went to college in New Hampshire that those were not foods everyone in the US enjoyed.)
I'm looking forward to trying this recipe, but I might note that when I made my own, adding marjoram and nutmeg was key in making it taste like the scrapple we had growing up.
The secret to scrapple success lies in keeping it very cold until just before you plan to cook it, and then slicing it as thinly as possible, to get those wonderful crispy, crunchy edges. ;o)
FrugalCat, we had something called "Taylor's Pork Roll"which I think is related to Taylor Ham. That too was delicious. Those two, scrapple and "TPR" were among the many simple but delightful foods I sort of took for granted growing up. (I didn't realize until I went to college in New Hampshire that those were not foods everyone in the US enjoyed.)
I'm looking forward to trying this recipe, but I might note that when I made my own, adding marjoram and nutmeg was key in making it taste like the scrapple we had growing up.
The secret to scrapple success lies in keeping it very cold until just before you plan to cook it, and then slicing it as thinly as possible, to get those wonderful crispy, crunchy edges. ;o)
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