Amish Food & Culture, a Brief Introduction

The Amish are mostly self-sufficient, living off the land. They grow crops, raise livestock and have bountiful gardens. With changing times all people change though and the Amish, just like everyone else, find themselves in the grocery store purchasing processed foods and other modernized items. The Amish generally don't have electricity like the rest of use and they use kerosene and wood for cooking and heating and ice boxes to keep things cold. The picture one imagines when thinking of the Amish would be that of the early pioneers, before electricity was even invented. The fact that these wonderful people still live like this, even if they have integrated some of the luxuries of "now", is amazing and something to be looked up to.

The Amish believe in complete meals, that always come with a desert. One of their favorites is Apple Dumplings. They love to bake, so it is often you will find fresh bread and pies. Raisin Pie is an Amish creation, which you are sure to find at an Amish roadside bake sale. Anything you can think of them growing or raising you can find in the kitchen, especially when breakfast time rolls around. Fried eggs and potatoes are a favorite Amish breakfast.

The Amish make their foods from scratch, like fresh homemade cinnamon rolls. They don't have telephones so they don't order delivery, but they do make wonderful wood-fired pizzas out of their own fresh, homemade (and grown) toppings. The Amish, although behind in their times, are also ahead of the times as people start to adopt things like the slow food movement. The Amish know about their foods, and where they come from (because they plant and grow them and raise them). They take family time to eat their meals before and after doing their daily chores and work.

If more people could adopt the ways of the Amish, just in the way they make their own and take care of their own, this would be a totally different world. And look at how small their carbon foot print is. If ever the world does run out of energy the Amish will be sure to outlive the rest of us, as they already know how to live without all of the amenities we take for granted each and every day.

Source:
Coblentz, E. & Williams, K. (200) The Amish Cook. Ten Speed Press. California.