Amish food (2024)

FAQs

What kind of food do Amish eat? ›

Traditional Amish food includes dishes like tasty roasted chicken, creamy mashed potatoes & gravy, seasoned vegetables, fresh bread, and homemade jam. The Amish are also known for excellent baked goods, especially pies, cookies, breads, cakes, and fry pies.

A typical Amish dinner might consist of a meat dish, such as roast chicken, accompanied by egg noodles, mashed potatoes, gravy, and a vegetable side like corn. This is often followed by a homemade dessert, perhaps a pie or cake, showcasing the Amish skill in baking.

The Amish cook their dishes on a wood-burning stove or over an open fire. This cooking method brings out the natural flavors in all ingredients. Additionally, the cooks use cast iron pots and pans. These pots and pans retain heat better, giving their dishes that classic, home-cooked flavor everyone loves.

The Amish Have No Dietary Restrictions

Having no dietary restrictions means they can eat whatever their heart desires. While many Amish stick to a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch diet, we've seen Amish dine at Olive Garden and take their buggies through the Burger King drive thru line.

Alcohol consumption isn't prohibited in all Amish communities, and neither is it encouraged. It doesn't play a big role in Amish youth culture, either. However, it often becomes more of a feature during Rumspringa.

Shoofly pie is a traditional sweet breakfast dish in Amish communities. It's made from molasses combined with water, baking soda, and flour poured into a pie shell and topped with a layer of crumb comprising flour, butter, sugar, and spices like nutmeg and cinnamon.

The Amish believe it's important to get a good night's sleep, so they can be fresh for the next day. They typically sleep for seven to eight hours each night. The Amish bedroom is simple. The furniture is typically made of wood, and the beds are usually bunk beds.

An Amish meal is usually served with water to drink. If you're from a different culture you may be used to having a variety of things to drink with your meal from ice tea to milk to coffee. Its water for the Amish. But don't forget to have a cup of coffee after dessert while you sit around to chat.

Are the Amish Allowed to Eat Pork? Because there are no food restrictions, or notions of pigs being unclean, the Amish can eat pork.

Can Amish drink soda? ›

That said, some Amish, especially New Order, like Gloria and family, tend towards healthier diets where soda pop of any kind is a rarity. But among certain Old Order groups, “pop” has become a mainstay. This recipe comes to us from a Mennonite in Canada. You can bake the chicken in the recipe or baste it and grill it .

Food is one of the methods of celebration among the Amish. Sharing a meal or a snack is a great way to fellowship. Drop in to visit an Amish family and they'll quickly invite you to share some popcorn and ice cream. It might be pretzels or chips.

Whoopie pies, shoo-fly pie, and homemade ice creams aren't drenched in complexity but are deliciously straightforward. They echo nostalgia, reminding many of a time when life was less complicated. Lastly, Amish meals are imbued with intention.

Grains, dairy, and locally sourced meats play a pivotal role in the Amish diet. These ingredients are staples cultivated, harvested, and processed within their communities. In a world where farm-to-table is a luxury, for the Amish, it's simply a way of life.