Munching Your Way Through Lancaster County
By Rhonda Cohen
MetroKids Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Dutch culture is distinctive for its religious commitment, a simple style of dress and transportation, wooden handcrafts and a special taste in foods. This last attribute is being celebrated with a Pennsylvania Dutch Country “FlavorFest – a celebration of food so big it lasts all year.” The festival re-acquaints folks with famous Pennsylvania Dutch delicacies and introduces them to gourmet experiences as well as entertaining and educational food experiences for the family.

The 2006 Flavorfest entices visitors to Lancaster County to experience “Foodie Towns” such as Lititz, home of American’s first pretzel bakery, and “Market Towns” with their farmer’s markets, baked goods and local specialties. FlavorFest trails are mapped out and open for traffic, such as the so-called Sweet n’ Salty Trail, the Dairy Trail and the Ale Trail.

Pennsylvania Dutch cooking has a German base since the population is actually descended from German, or “Deutsch” immigrants. The term Pennsylvania “Dutch” actually comes from a mispronunciation of “Deutsch.”

Families will love the Sturgis Pretzel House. It is America’s first pretzel bakery, founded in 1874, and here you will learn how to hand-twist a pretzel. With step-by-step instruction, it’s easy to do and you will never look at a pretzel the same way again. Sturgis sells large bags of pretzels including some unusually-flavored varieties.

The Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau has planned special events throughout the year. Check on www.padutchcountry.com to see current attractions. Many of them are food-oriented, including a Rhubarb Festival. Some “rhubarbian” events include: watching the Rhubarb Derby Car Race where contestants design their own car made from rhubarb stalks, and ogling the King and Queen of Rhubarb at the Rhubarb stroll. These events are held in Intercourse, PA, on Friday May 19th and Saturday, May 20th. The annual Berry Festival takes place on June 16th and 17th. Other fun festivals and events occur throughout the year.

The tradition of preserving the harvest comes into play at Kitchen Kettle Village where you can sample their homemade jams, jellies, sauces and salsas. They have unusual items such as carrot jam and apple butter barbecue sauce. You might try their Peanut Butter Schmier that tastes like a cross between peanut butter and caramel or stick to local favorites like “chow chow,” consisting of chunks of preserved vegetables. At the Village, kids can decorate their own cookie for $1. Also in Intercourse (formerly known as Cross Keys), you can visit the Intercourse Pretzel Factory. Somewhat different from the Lititz factory, their pretzels are lighter to the bite. The owners boast that they use no lard and no preservatives. Here you actually can view the pretzel baking if you arrive on their baking days.

Lancaster County easily can be reached by car from all parts of the Delaware Valley – about an hour and a half from Philadelphia. Having kids in the car for a long time (even with a dvd player) can be daunting. There are plenty of kid-friendly destinations like Dutch Wonderland, an amusement park for the younger set, to break up the trip. The famed Strasburg Railroad is a great attraction. You ride for six miles in antique cars, pulled by a vintage steam locomotive, from the Golden Age of railroading in the late Nineteenth century. If you make reservations in advance, you can ride in the only mahogany dining car still in use. The simple menu features kids’ specials as well as adult food. Finish the meal with a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch dessert such as Shoe-Fly pie, made from molasses, sugar and flour. Aside from this dining car, the Strasburg Railroad includes coaches and a parlor car, each having its own distinctive décor. Snacks are served on all cars and there is live commentary onboard about the surroundings and the history of the train. According to Craig Schmid, owner of the train’s food services, the rail trips are geared towards all ages and at night, a magic show, murder mystery and other entertainment take place. Call for more information, prices and times. This is a great way to experience part of Pennsylvania history.

Kreider Farms provides an unusual tour, appropriate for any age, including teens! We were joined in our car by Ruth Morris who describes the activities of this 3500 acre farm. She affectionately refers to the cows as “our girls,” and describes their care and their milking as she rides with you. She takes you to see the Cow Merry-Go-Round which is a high-tech milking carousel. It is fascinating to see their sophisticated operation. The tour ends as you sample one of their 20 flavors of home-made ice cream made with milk from their own dairy. For bio-security reasons, no petting of the animals is allowed.

The climax of the day was a diamond-in-the-rough dinner experience at Dienner’s. This relatively small, family-owned business has been in existence for 12 years. The food is Pennsylvania Dutch and just about everything is made on the premises. Its buffet is affordable for everyone. For many, Dienner’s is a destination; some visitors drive two hours to come here for dinner. There is a waiting line on weekends, but the food and service are worth it. Children under 2 are free and children under 12 pay 60 cents for each year of their age. You pay $1.80 for a three-year-old, for example. The restaurant handles about 1100 diners on weekends and word of mouth is their only advertising.

The Food Festival also encompasses farmers markets, roadside stands, and small bakeries set up around the community. Here, you usually can get terrific bargains on items such as moon pies, apple dumplings and sticky buns. The PA Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau also offers other excursions such as the Chef’s Tour, the Farm to Fork tour and the Chocolate Covered Sundays tour.

Come hungry and prepared to eat some delicious fare.

DIENNER’S COUNTRY RESTAURANT
2855 Lincoln Hwy. East, Ronks, PA 17572
Phone: 717-687-9571
Closed Sundays

KREIDER FARMS
1461 Lancaster Road Manheim, PA 17545
Phone: 717-665-5039
Reservations a must Monday-Saturday 9:30-2:30

LITITZ PRETZEL BAKERY
219 East Main Street in Lititz, PA.
Phone: 717-626-4354
Open 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., Monday through Saturday.
Admission is $2.

INTERCOURSE PRETZEL FACTORY
3614 Old Philadelphia Pike Intercourse, Pa 17534
Phone: 717-768-3432

KITCHEN KETTLE VILLAGE
Route 340 · P. O. Box 380 · Intercourse, PA 17534
Phone: 717-768-8261 or 800-732-3538
Monday - Saturday: 9am - 5pm; Closed Sundays, Christmas Eve(at 4pm) and Christmas Day.

STRASBURG RAIL ROAD
Rte. 741 East of Strasburg, PA
Phone: 717-687-7522
Reservations for the dining car are a must.

To read the entire article, please visit MetroKids Pennsylvania.