Ah, the open road. The possibilities are endless and the adventures only limited by your imagination. One of the best things to do when taking a road trip is to take a detour. I try not to be so rushed that I can’t stop to look at the country’s largest ball of yarn or the museum that’s built entirely out of corn. Or in this case, Dietrich’s Meats and Country Store . Located just two hours from Rockland country, Dietrich’s has an amazing array of Pennsylvania Dutch specialties.
Some of their offerings may be a little to much for a few people, so if pickled pigs feet and lambs tongue, aren’t your thing, theres still plenty of goodness to enjoy. From smoked dog treats to their amazing sho fly pie, there will be something for everyone in your crew.
I have travelled to Dietrich’s many times and over the years I have settled on just a few items that I really love. One is their bacon, they have both pork and beef bacon. I find that many of their smoked meat items tend to start tasting the same. This could be due to the preservative process or the smoking process. I do however love the Amish butter that they sell and the fresh rendered lard. I know lard… but I feel lard has gotten a bad rap over the years and just now we’re starting to see that its not as ‘bad” for you as it was touted. They also make traditional mince meat, so all you have to do is put it into a pie or cookies, and yes traditionally, it contained ground up meat.
Pretty much everything in the store is home or handmade and you’d be missing out if you don’t pick up a loaf of the homemade cinnamon raisin bread . This loaf probably weighs about two pounds and is toasted heaven when served with the Amish butter. They also make apple , blueberry and peach dumplings fresh daily. The list of pies, breads and cakes is to numerous to mention, as is the jams and jellies and local honey. They also make pretzels as any good Pennsylvania Dutch place should.
If you like salami or sausages like bratwurst, knockwurst, weisswurst , hot dogs and bologna, then a trip to Dietrich’s is a must. One of the things they do that I really like is that they have samples! I don’t mean a few samples here and there, no, they have samples of just about every type of meat they sell. This is so helpful when you’re shopping and haven’t heard of or tried one of their specialities. I think you’ll enjoy this feature as much as I do, secret tip, try the pastrami! I’d be remiss if I also didn’t mention their Scrapple. Scrapple or Pannhaas (pan rabbit) is one of those things you have to try to appreciate. It’s a staple in many Pennsylvania homes and each region spices it a little differently. In America it’s basically ground up pork scraps, cooked with corn meal and wheat flour or buckwheat and seasoned with sage and black pepper. The mush is then placed into loaf pans and baked, then you slice it thin and pan fry it. Try it before you judge it, good Scrapple can be amazing! One more important fact, THEY ONLY TAKE CASH! They have an ATM so it shouldn’t be a problem, just be prepared.
So if you find yourself on interstate 78 near Krumsville Pa, be sure to slow down and take exit 40 and follow the signs to Dietrich’s Meats and Country Store. If you’ve ever been please share your comments, both good and bad, in the box below. If you go please let us know what you liked and what you didn’t. Tune in again as I venture a little further South. Thanks for stopping by and as always, Boone Appétit!
