I mentioned yesterday that I love reader Mark, who's checking in from overseas to keep up on York County life.
Well, Mark really did his homework for me. After asserting that scrapple might not be German, and setting off what I fondly refer to as the Great Scrapple Uprising of Aught Eight, Mark did some further digging and updated me with the results. His findings:
Doing a Wiki-search for Panhas and translating the info, I have some very interesting info for all of you that are interested! Panhas IS a German recipe from the Westfall/Rheinland regions, includes (regionally) pork, bacon and/or beef 'bits' and is cooked with salt, papper, spices and flour to a slurry. The slurry is cooled but not gelled and then, hold your nose, blood is added. This slurry is then introduced into a sausage skin. The result is called a variety of names here - Blutwurst (blood sausage), Hackfleisch (ground meat without the skin - kinda like puddin) or Leberwurst (literally liverwurst). It is eaten cold or cooked (like scrapple is cooked) and served with grilled onions, salt potatos (kinda like a potato salad) and or sauerkraut.
So in reality, he writes, the origins are German. He adds: "This is an old recipe, and not normally favored by today's generations. Blutwurst is readily available at butchers but the name Panhas has somewhat been phased out (at least in Austria and parts of Germany)."
For those of you who were upset, he writes: "I apologize for any unsettling chills I caused by saying scrapple was not German. In origin, it is and yes the immigrants modified it with what was available to make it what is is to us today. I hope this clears the air a little for you all."
Meanwhile, he still contends King Syrup is the appropriate topping for scrapple. Reader and coworker Doug mentioned after my last scrapple post that he is known to eat his plain... or sometimes with maple syrup.
Sister-in-law Adriane swears it needs no enhancements.
So while I think they'll all agree with you on the origins now, Mark, I think you're out of luck in finding a taker on the syrup!!
Joan,
Thanks for helping 'settle' the Great Scrapple Uprising of Aught Eight. I do seem to be the cause of this 'scrap' (trying not to be too punnish). As far as the Syrup and scrapple, I learned that from my father, who learned it from his father and grandfather (who, incidentally are of Austro-Hungarian-Croatic heritage) This brings me to my next question for Yorkers...Sweet AND Salty! Such as Scrapple and Syrup, I have noticed that Yorkers like their food sweet and salty together. Everyone hold your lunch...here is a brief list of what I find (family learned) tasty...Ritz Crackers and Rutter's Chocolate Marshmallow Ice cream (cracker for a scoop!), Wendy's Frosty used as a french fry dip!, and of course the semi-famous fluffernutter. So I throw this into your inbox to 'chew on' and see if this is a personal thing or is it regional? I know other people in York that share some of these tastes with me and have not witnessed this outside of York (I lived in and around Baltimore for almost 15 years). Enjoy the thought and thanks again!
Auf wiedersehen from Österreich!
Mark
My mother and I just ate some "Pontas" - we have no clue how to really spell it. Oringally made by my German great grandmother. Pork neck bone meat, cornmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves. Put in loaf pan, cool, then slice, fry and eat w/ syrup. The Panhas name looks close but this is not savory, was served as a breakfast dish. Our family origniated in Germany, settling in central Indiana in the 1830s.
Ann