What is scrapple, and why should you be eating it?

If you call yourself a pork lover, then you really should be eating scrapple. A traditional rural American food of the Mid-Atlantic states, scrapple is the perfect example of the peasant tradition of taking food that would otherwise go to waste and turning it into something delicious.

First, let’s get the exact definition of scrapple out of the way. Pork meat (usually, but not always, along with offal including the head, heart, and liver) and bones are boiled, finely minced, and combined with cornmeal and flours that have been turned into a mush in the resulting broth. Spices including sage, black pepper, thyme, and savory are added, and the mixture is them formed into loaves, which are allowed to cool until set. Half-inch slices are then cut off and fried in butter until golden brown.

Now onto the good part: Scrapple is absolutely delicious. It’s traditionally served as a breakfast side dish, with sweet or savory condiments including ketchup, grape jelly, applesauce, honey, mustard, or maple syrup. It can be mixed with scrambled eggs or simply served between two slices of white bread. It’s savory, porky, rich, and versatile.

If you’re afraid of offal, well, you’re going to want to make sure you check the ingredients list before you make any purchases. But if you’re in it to win it, start your scrapple journey by buying a package of Habbersett Scrapple, which is cooked in cast-iron kettles and has been around since 1863, cutting off a slice, and crisping it up with some butter in a cast-iron pan. Trust us: You won’t be let down. Intrigued? Check out these additional regional breakfast dishes!