Pennsylvania Dutch Cuisine from the Heart
Pennsylvania Dutch culture and history are at the heart of every dish carefully and lovingly crafted by our staff here at Shady Maple Smorgasbord. Preserving the heritage and community connection we have built over the span of 50 years inspires each item on our menu.
Food has always been an important part of Pennsylvania Dutch culture. It is a part of our most cherished memories, woven into the stories we tell, and passed down through families and communities as the years go by.
In this article, we explore the connection between Lancaster’s Pennsylvania Dutch heritage and the care we put into the creation of the food we serve at the Shady Maple Smorgasbord.
Signature Dishes and Their Family Origins
Each visitor to Shady Maple has their favorite Pennsylvania Dutch-inspired dishes. Those favorites bring visitors back again and again to savor the tried-and-true as well as experience new things.
As the largest smorgasbord in the country, there is something for every palate. Start with sides and appetizers. The tempting aroma of scrapple, Harvard beets, dried corn, chow-chow, and other favorites whisks and whirls through the air.
Move on to delicious entrees like prime rib, tender roast beef, ham balls, pig stomach, ribs, and other decadent delights.
Be sure to save some room for dessert. Eclairs, shoo fly pie, apple pie, and so much more.
Each of these recipes originated as family favorites, passed down and preserved over the generations, landing today on our guests’ trays and tables.
Grandma’s Recipe
No matter your taste, our team has been faithfully recreating each of our recipes for over 50 years. All these recipes are inspired by the wonderful Pennsylvania-Dutch culture visitors flock to Lancaster County to experience each year.
Many recipes were passed down through the ages by mothers and grandmothers from the Lancaster Pennsylvania Dutch community. Over time, we added different recipes and new items, while maintaining the classics, to keep things interesting.
We realize the importance of consistency, so we strive to recreate each dish perfectly and the same each time. Devoting careful attention to each detail, our dishes are crafted to make the original recipe creators proud.
Related Article: What is a Smorgasbord: Your Guides to a Pennsylvania Culinary Delight
A Magical Mistake
While we focus on perfection, we are open to change, even when it’s accidental. Our scrapple recipe, for example, evolved unexpectedly when a team member accidentally added an incorrect ingredient.
Always open to new ideas, rather than dumping the mistake in the waste bin and starting over, our team tested the recipe with the new ingredient. We were pleasantly surprised to find that we all loved the recipe more than the original. Today, we make the recipe with the “accidental ingredient” every time.
While our classics traditionally remain the same, we have, from time to time, added new ingredients or tweaked flavors as health trends and tastes change. Generally, though, we faithfully follow our recipes crafted over 50 years ago.
Authenticity and Quality Assurance
Maintaining Pennsylvania Dutch authenticity and the highest levels of quality are of the utmost importance to our team. Our quality control experts tediously inspect and test our foods, recipes, prepping areas, and processes to ensure only the best, highest quality foods end up on our guests’ plates.
We source our ingredients locally. This serves a dual purpose. First, it ensures the freshness and quality of the ingredients we use in our recipes. Second, it allows our team to use ingredients that honor Lancaster Country’s rich farmland.
By sourcing locally and focusing on authenticity and quality, we ensure our guests leave the smorgasbord full and happy on every visit.
Related Article: Our Favorite Pennsylvania Dutch Desserts: A Sweet Taste of Tradition
Our guests visit from all around to sample our delicious spread of appetizers, entrees, and desserts, as well as to celebrate special moments in their lives. Every year, more than 90,000 guests visit Shady Maple Smorgasbord to celebrate their birthdays. Each one receives a free birthday meal to commemorate the special occasion.
Our guests return each year on special days and throughout the year to experience the ambiance and presentation that reflect the area’s deeply rooted Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. Shady Maple Smorgasbord holds a special place in people’s hearts on their birthdays, around holidays, and just any old day that a high-quality delicious meal is on the itinerary.
