When you think of Delaware, you don’t exactly think of anything particular except for maybe Joe Biden or Ryan Phillippe. If you’re financially savvy, you probably think of Bill Roth or the credit card industry. But in it’s own way, Delaware has achieved some sort of mid-level fame.
If you’re a fan of channels like the Travel Channel, you’ve seen places in and around Delaware have been highlighted on TV shows such as Ghost Hunters and the Top 10 Places to Pig Out (interestingly enough, the eatery featured on that show, Cluck U, is no longer around). Our Punkin Chunkin’ contest was featured on the science channel. Now, I don’t particulary have a problem with these particular products of Delaware. I do, however, have a huge problem with scrapple.
Although it does not have it’s true origins in Delaware, the origins are close enough (Lancaster, PA). But regardless of its real origins, scrapple is perhaps the most digusting food on earth. I would rather eat a plateful of live crickets than consume one bite of scrapple. In case you’re not familiar with this particular abomination, here’s a brief description: it is mix of all the pig parts not good enough for a hot dog or sausage (such as the head, heart, and snout), chopped up and cooked down and then combined with seasonings, then molded into a big brick of grey meat. It is the only food that Guy Fieri was wary of eating. Seriously, how would you feel if someone tried to make you eat this (notice the grey-ish hue underneath the top):
It’s horrid and it smells as bad as it looks. The smell that eminates from cooked scrapple is one that lingers and you continue to smell days later. It’s a smell that not even Febreeze can take care of! Yet for some reason, it is insanely popular in Delaware and across the region. At the Delaware State Fair, the longest line is at, you guessed it, the scrapple stand. For $1, you can buy this atrocity on bread and it’s called a sandwich. I can understand a lot of things. But for the life of me, I cannot understand the popularity of this sandwich:
I have even overheard numerous debates as to which brand, Rapa or Habbersett, is best. How can you debate which brick of pig scraps tastes better? I would assume that all pig snout tastes the same. And that’s just a guess because even when I did eat meat, I could not bring myself to eat scrapple. Could you?
Scrapple is banned from my house 364 days a year. 1 day a year, Christmas day, my husband is allowed to bring it in and cook it for Christmas breakfast. But there are rules. For instance, I will not touch it. I will not spend the money to buy it. It is not allowed anywhere near anything else in my fridge (it gets its own shelf). It must be wrapped in 2 plastic bags and leftovers are not allowed; whatever is not eaten goes straight into the trash. I can’t stomach the thought of it staying in my house beyond that one day.
I know that scrapple seems like a joke. It seems like something Dwight Schrute would eat or something that would be one of those gross food challenges on Survivor. But I assure you, it’s very real. When I begin my campaign for ruler of the universe, one of my campaign platforms will be to rid the world of scrapple. I think the world would be a better place without it. Don’t you?
The Empty Kitchen 
i agree with you, and i was born and raised in delaware. i don’t get it! i can’t eat anything with ‘scrap’ in the name.
I feel obliged to point out that the majority of scrapple is corn meal. Scrapple is a frugal food — waste not, want not! The Pennsylvania Dutch may have created scrapple, but they are not the only ones who eat “every part of the pig except its squeal.”
Personally, I am a life-long fan of scrapple — I prefer it with some green-tomato relish and ketchup… fried or scrambled eggs with potatoes optional.
Oh, my! Scrapple! You bring back (bad) memories. I’m PA Dutch, left Reading PA for the wilds of western Ohio, and am SO GLAD to be away from that noxious stuff. My fam used to eat it all the time, literally drowned in pancake syrup (and that didn’t help much). Blech!
And please, don’t get me started on mincemeat pie (ICK! ICK! ICK!)
I never got a taste for mincemeat… but, my father liked it so mom used to make mincemeat pie for Thanksgiving & Christmas holidays.
The only time syrup got on my scrapple was from running off my french toast, pancakes or waffles! 😎
I’ve never even heard of such an abomination. I’m really glad I live in Connecticut where this stuff doesn’t exist.
alyssa, i’m originally from new york and never heard of scrapple either until i moved to delaware. it’s a regional food, i suppose. i was terrified of it the first time i saw it!
Alyssa, I suppose you never heard of pig feet either?
unlike a hamburger or pizza, scrapple is not a nationally known food; it’s virtually unheard of in the northeast. so, if she’s from connecticut, then it is possible to have never heard of scrapple.
I wonder… is an ethnic food supposed to be treated with disgust based on appearance?
And, yet… cafeteria food is eaten in great quantity — but then its fried so it looks familiar! Or, has plenty of sugar.
Sorry. Not many adventurous eaters here.
It’s not that different then sausage in a loaf form, really. Or soup cooked with the bone in the pot and removed in the final stages. While traditionally scrapple is made from snouts and feet, etc., not so much anymore. The pork parts are cooked down and strained through a sluice, not ground up. Production scrapple is pretty much just pork meat, cornmeal and seasonings. Its grey like most sausage.
Just slice a piece off of the loaf and fry it until crisp and brown on both sides. YUM. We made our own once from slow cooked pork shoulder. Cooked it with pigs feet and knuckles (you can get them at a butcher) but removed those near the end. I’ve heard of people making it from turkey, too.