On my mother's side, my ancestors arrived in the Philadelphia region in the 1720s, from present day Switzerland, and soon relocated into the present day Lancaster / Lebanon area. These ancestors brought German-type cuisine with them which evolved over the next two hundred plus years to create several distinct specialty dishes. I state this at the top because I would venture that at least half of my Philadelphia food items are actually Pennsylvania Dutch food.
THE DELI MEATS: LIVERWURST AND SWEET LEBANON BOLOGNA
Living on the East Coast, you tend to take the deli meat options for granted. I lived in California for a few years and was blown away when I went to order meat from supermarket delis and the most exotic meat option they had was buffalo turkey. Ok. The deli meats are what I get cravings for the most while away from the Philadelphia area. Liverwurst, left image below, as the name implies, is some sort of a mash up of livers. I can't stand liver but liverwurst is a whole other thing. I can't go a month or two without eating a liverwurst sandwich. The Pennsylvania Dutch brought this meat preparation with them. Sweet Lebanon Bologna, right image below, again, as the name implies, is sweet and created in Lebanon, PA. Once you've had Sweet Lebanon Bologna, there's no returning to plain, boring bologna. This may sound crazy, but if you are visiting Philadelphia or PA, I'd strongly consider going to a deli, ordering a quarter pound of Sweet Lebanon Bologna, pick up some bread, and having a sandwich for a meal during your stay. It's that good. It's that local.
If you don't feel like making a sandwich in your hotel room, the hoagie is another regional favorite dish. Maybe you've had a sub, or a hero, or a grinder, or whatever else you want to call it. The hoagie is in a class of its own.
Living on the East Coast, you tend to take the deli meat options for granted. I lived in California for a few years and was blown away when I went to order meat from supermarket delis and the most exotic meat option they had was buffalo turkey. Ok. The deli meats are what I get cravings for the most while away from the Philadelphia area. Liverwurst, left image below, as the name implies, is some sort of a mash up of livers. I can't stand liver but liverwurst is a whole other thing. I can't go a month or two without eating a liverwurst sandwich. The Pennsylvania Dutch brought this meat preparation with them. Sweet Lebanon Bologna, right image below, again, as the name implies, is sweet and created in Lebanon, PA. Once you've had Sweet Lebanon Bologna, there's no returning to plain, boring bologna. This may sound crazy, but if you are visiting Philadelphia or PA, I'd strongly consider going to a deli, ordering a quarter pound of Sweet Lebanon Bologna, pick up some bread, and having a sandwich for a meal during your stay. It's that good. It's that local.
If you don't feel like making a sandwich in your hotel room, the hoagie is another regional favorite dish. Maybe you've had a sub, or a hero, or a grinder, or whatever else you want to call it. The hoagie is in a class of its own.
And if you are shopping for bread there's only one option: Stroehmann's. I'm not sure who Stroehmann is/was but the guy knew how to bake a loaf of bread. 100X better than Wonder Bread. Stroehmann's may now be owned by Bimbo but they still bake it fresh every morning - I occasionally see the trucks leaving the bakery on the way to the gym in the morning.
THE BREAKFAST MEATS: PORK ROLL AND SCRAPPLE
From the deli meats to the breakfast meats: Pork Roll and Scrapple.
Pork Roll is the generic name, the official name is Taylor Ham as it was developed by John Taylor in Trenton, NJ in the 1850s. I have to hand it to Trenton, the city created something awesome. Is Pork Roll better than bacon? Maybe not but it's easier, cleaner, and quicker to cook thus it's my go to breakfast meat when making a breakfast sandwich. The meat has a bit of a salty, cured flavor. Pro-tip, you need to cut into the edges so the pork roll doesn't curl up when you cook.
You've heard that a hot dog is the leftover remains of a pig that didn't make the more premium cuts. Well, scrapple is everything that was leftover from making the hot dog. It's best not to think about what's in scrapple. If you couldn't tell from that description, scrapple is Pennsylvania Dutch through and through. Scrapple can be a bit dry but douse it with some syrup and wow it's the perfect salty sugary balance. While I think the store brand pork roll is as good as the Taylor brand when it comes to buying scrapple it's Habbersett or nothing. Both pork roll and scrapple can be found on many a breakfast menus side items.
From the deli meats to the breakfast meats: Pork Roll and Scrapple.
Pork Roll is the generic name, the official name is Taylor Ham as it was developed by John Taylor in Trenton, NJ in the 1850s. I have to hand it to Trenton, the city created something awesome. Is Pork Roll better than bacon? Maybe not but it's easier, cleaner, and quicker to cook thus it's my go to breakfast meat when making a breakfast sandwich. The meat has a bit of a salty, cured flavor. Pro-tip, you need to cut into the edges so the pork roll doesn't curl up when you cook.
You've heard that a hot dog is the leftover remains of a pig that didn't make the more premium cuts. Well, scrapple is everything that was leftover from making the hot dog. It's best not to think about what's in scrapple. If you couldn't tell from that description, scrapple is Pennsylvania Dutch through and through. Scrapple can be a bit dry but douse it with some syrup and wow it's the perfect salty sugary balance. While I think the store brand pork roll is as good as the Taylor brand when it comes to buying scrapple it's Habbersett or nothing. Both pork roll and scrapple can be found on many a breakfast menus side items.
POTATO CHIPS AND HARD PRETZELS
My long distant relatives (I'm sure we can both trace our lineage to Hans Herr) the Herr's created the Philadelphia areas best snack: Herr's Potato Chips. Similarly to deli meats, I didn't think of potato chips and pretzels as being Philadelphia regional food until I lived in Los Angeles and the only option available was Lays potato chips, which while available, I don't believe anyone in Philadelphia eats Lays. Why would we when we have Herr's, Utz's, Hanover, Wise, etc. This plethora of snack options traces its roots back to the 1720s German immigrants - no visit to the Lancaster area is complete without a stop at the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Factory, America's first commercial pretzel bakery. Conversely, the Philadelphia area does not have as many tortilla chip options as Los Angeles.
My long distant relatives (I'm sure we can both trace our lineage to Hans Herr) the Herr's created the Philadelphia areas best snack: Herr's Potato Chips. Similarly to deli meats, I didn't think of potato chips and pretzels as being Philadelphia regional food until I lived in Los Angeles and the only option available was Lays potato chips, which while available, I don't believe anyone in Philadelphia eats Lays. Why would we when we have Herr's, Utz's, Hanover, Wise, etc. This plethora of snack options traces its roots back to the 1720s German immigrants - no visit to the Lancaster area is complete without a stop at the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Factory, America's first commercial pretzel bakery. Conversely, the Philadelphia area does not have as many tortilla chip options as Los Angeles.
SOFT PRETZELS
The soft pretzel may not have been invented in Philadelphia and sure you can get the soft pretzel throughout the US but nowhere are they more available or consumed as much as in Philadelphia. The soft pretzel was my morning breakfast for several years - breakfast of champions. You can get a hard, tastes like it's three days old but it's still kind of ok, soft pretzel from Wawa, but a warm soft pretzel, from a place like Philly Pretzel Factory, is the way to go. The warmth and softer texture the warmth brings makes the soft pretzel great. If you are ever driving Umbria Street in/out of Manayunk, Tasty Twisters has the best soft pretzels in the city and is a must stop.
The soft pretzel may not have been invented in Philadelphia and sure you can get the soft pretzel throughout the US but nowhere are they more available or consumed as much as in Philadelphia. The soft pretzel was my morning breakfast for several years - breakfast of champions. You can get a hard, tastes like it's three days old but it's still kind of ok, soft pretzel from Wawa, but a warm soft pretzel, from a place like Philly Pretzel Factory, is the way to go. The warmth and softer texture the warmth brings makes the soft pretzel great. If you are ever driving Umbria Street in/out of Manayunk, Tasty Twisters has the best soft pretzels in the city and is a must stop.
ROSENBERGER'S
What's the best way to wash down a soft pretzel? Downing a half gallon of Rosenburger's iced tea. There was a time when I drank a half gallon of Rosenberger's a day...and never gained a pound. I'd pick one up at 7-11 each morning and that got me through the day. Turkey Hill has nothing on Rosenberger's. I suppose you could make a case that Birch Beer is another regional drink but I think that's broadly available throughout the Northeast. And yes, I get that iced tea is available all over, but man, Rosenberger's mix is in another world.
What's the best way to wash down a soft pretzel? Downing a half gallon of Rosenburger's iced tea. There was a time when I drank a half gallon of Rosenberger's a day...and never gained a pound. I'd pick one up at 7-11 each morning and that got me through the day. Turkey Hill has nothing on Rosenberger's. I suppose you could make a case that Birch Beer is another regional drink but I think that's broadly available throughout the Northeast. And yes, I get that iced tea is available all over, but man, Rosenberger's mix is in another world.
TASTYKAKE
Nobody bakes a cake as tasty as a Tastykake. Nobody.
Pasalubong is a Filipino "concept" where travelers bring gifts from their destination to people back home. There's 7,000+ islands in the Philippines and each island seems to have their own special desert or sweet dish that Filipino's bring when visiting one another. Philadelphia's pasalubong would be Tastykake. It's a hometown special desert. Hostess is the national brand. Tastykake is the Philadelphia brand - I'm not aware of anyone that would choose a Twinkie over a Butterscotch Krimpet. The best Tastykake? The Peanut Butter Kandy Kake and I'm not even sure what anyone else would bring to that debate. Taskykake is no longer locally owned, no longer locally baked, but it's still a Philadelphia staple.
Nobody bakes a cake as tasty as a Tastykake. Nobody.
Pasalubong is a Filipino "concept" where travelers bring gifts from their destination to people back home. There's 7,000+ islands in the Philippines and each island seems to have their own special desert or sweet dish that Filipino's bring when visiting one another. Philadelphia's pasalubong would be Tastykake. It's a hometown special desert. Hostess is the national brand. Tastykake is the Philadelphia brand - I'm not aware of anyone that would choose a Twinkie over a Butterscotch Krimpet. The best Tastykake? The Peanut Butter Kandy Kake and I'm not even sure what anyone else would bring to that debate. Taskykake is no longer locally owned, no longer locally baked, but it's still a Philadelphia staple.
WATER ICE VS. ITALIAN ICE
Water ice, which is distinctively Philadelphian and pronounced as "wooder" ice, should not be confused with Italian ice which is well, Italian in origination. Water ice is a block of flavored ice served in a cup that needs to be whittled away while Italian ice is softer and is eaten with a spoon. You add some ice cream to the Italian ice to get a gelati, which, yeah, is awesome. Water ice is more easily found in grocery stores and for Italian ice, there's Rita's, which is a local Philadelphia chain.
Water ice, which is distinctively Philadelphian and pronounced as "wooder" ice, should not be confused with Italian ice which is well, Italian in origination. Water ice is a block of flavored ice served in a cup that needs to be whittled away while Italian ice is softer and is eaten with a spoon. You add some ice cream to the Italian ice to get a gelati, which, yeah, is awesome. Water ice is more easily found in grocery stores and for Italian ice, there's Rita's, which is a local Philadelphia chain.
While I'm at it, add Breyer's Ice Cream to the local Philly list. Breyer's has been the go to, after dinner (or anytime) ice cream since 1866. Get out of here with that Turkey Hill nonsense.
WHOOPIE PIES
More like "eh, I'll pass" pies. The whoopie pie has two soft chocolate "cakes" (I don't know what else to call it as it's soft) with a cream filing between the cakes. It's like a giant, soft oreo cookie. Supposedly the cakes were so good that the normally stoic Amish got so excited to see them that they screamed out "Whoopie". Oddly, for some reason, I've never liked them.
More like "eh, I'll pass" pies. The whoopie pie has two soft chocolate "cakes" (I don't know what else to call it as it's soft) with a cream filing between the cakes. It's like a giant, soft oreo cookie. Supposedly the cakes were so good that the normally stoic Amish got so excited to see them that they screamed out "Whoopie". Oddly, for some reason, I've never liked them.
STROMBOLI
Cousin of the calzone, the stromboli is rolled while the calzone is folded. Even Philadelphia restaurants I think get confused about the two - if you see only "stromboli" on the menu, I guarantee you it's actually a calzone. You need to see both stromboli and calzone on the menu to order a stromoli and be sure you are getting a stromboli. I don't get to adventurous with my pizza order but with stromboli, a little more flair is the way to go - cheesesteak or buffalo chicken or chicken parm - things that I don't believe work as a pizza work wonderfully as a stromboli. Originally created at Romano's Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria in Essington. Worth a stop on the way to/from the shore, the airport, Delaware, etc.
Cousin of the calzone, the stromboli is rolled while the calzone is folded. Even Philadelphia restaurants I think get confused about the two - if you see only "stromboli" on the menu, I guarantee you it's actually a calzone. You need to see both stromboli and calzone on the menu to order a stromoli and be sure you are getting a stromboli. I don't get to adventurous with my pizza order but with stromboli, a little more flair is the way to go - cheesesteak or buffalo chicken or chicken parm - things that I don't believe work as a pizza work wonderfully as a stromboli. Originally created at Romano's Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria in Essington. Worth a stop on the way to/from the shore, the airport, Delaware, etc.