Lancaster County food guide: Central Market and Pennsylvania Dutch cooking

Lancaster County, in south central Pennsylvania, is known for farmland, Amish and Mennonite communities and a style of cooking called Pennsylvania Dutch. "Dutch" here is a mistake of language: it comes from Deutsch, the German word, and the cooking comes from German-speaking settlers. The county's food is simple, generous and seasonal, and the best place to understand it is the city of Lancaster and its public market.

What is Central Market, and when is it open?

Central Market, in the middle of downtown Lancaster, is widely described as the oldest continuously operating publicly owned farmers market in the United States. It dates from the 1730s. The red-brick market house standing today dates from 1889 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Within the building you will find farmers, bakers, butchers and cooks selling produce, meat, cheese, flowers, baked goods and prepared food, in stalls that families have often held for generations.

The market is open three days a week, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, and it closes on holidays. Saturday is the busiest day and the best for atmosphere; Tuesday is the quietest. Individual stands may close earlier on a slow afternoon, so go in the morning for the best selection.

What should you eat at Central Market?

Look for baked goods first: whoopie pies, sticky buns, soft pretzels, fruit pies and shoofly pie, a molasses pie. Try chicken pot pie in the Lancaster style, which is a soup of chicken, potatoes and square noodles, not a pastry-crusted pie. Look for pickled vegetables, relishes and chow-chow, a mixed vegetable relish, and for smoked meats such as ring bologna, a spiced sausage. In late summer, sweet corn and tomatoes are everywhere. Many stands also sell lunch, from sandwiches to international dishes, because the market has diversified.

What is a Pennsylvania Dutch meal?

Traditional meals are served family style at long tables, with plates of meat and bowls of vegetables passed around. Common dishes include fried chicken, roast beef, noodles, mashed potatoes, creamed corn, applesauce, pickled beets, and pie. Some restaurants, called smorgasbords or family-style farms, offer an all-you-can-eat meal at a fixed price. You may share a table with strangers. Come hungry, and ask about reservations, since busy ones fill on weekends and in the fall.

Why are many places closed on Sundays?

Amish and Mennonite owners generally do not work on Sundays, so many farm stands, bakeries and some restaurants are closed. Plan Sunday meals at restaurants in the city of Lancaster, where many are open, or at chain restaurants along the main roads. Check hours before driving to a farm. It is also courteous to avoid photographing people, especially Amish people, without permission; many consider it disrespectful.

How do you do a food day trip?

Start with breakfast at Central Market on a Tuesday, Friday or Saturday, then drive east or south to roadside stands and farm shops, where in season you can buy produce, baked goods, cheese, jams and quilts. Many stands operate on an honor system, with a cash box. Carry small bills. Lunch can be a family-style meal, and afternoon stops might include a creamery, a pretzel bakery or an orchard. Roads are narrow and shared with horse-drawn buggies, so drive slowly and give them space.

What about gluten, allergies and dietary needs?

Pennsylvania Dutch cooking is heavy on flour, butter, eggs and pork, and many baked goods are made in shared spaces, so celiac diners and those with allergies should ask carefully. Vegetarian choices include vegetables, soups, pies and cheeses, though stocks are often made with meat. Larger restaurants in the city of Lancaster have broader menus, including vegan and gluten-free choices.

What changes with the seasons?

Lancaster County eats by the calendar. Spring brings rhubarb, asparagus and strawberries, with roadside stands opening in May. Summer is sweet corn, peaches, tomatoes and cantaloupe, and the markets are at their fullest. Fall means apples, cider, pumpkins, mums and the harvest dinners at churches and fire halls. Winter is quieter, with preserved foods, soups, and the Christmas baking season, when stands sell cookies, candies and breads in bulk. Many roadside stands close from late fall to spring, and some farms are open only seasonally, so confirm before you drive. If you want to see the market at its best, come on a Saturday in July through October.

What about cost and tax?

Market stands are generally inexpensive compared with city restaurants. Pennsylvania's 6 percent sales tax applies to prepared food and restaurant meals but not to most unprepared groceries. Tipping at a family-style restaurant follows the usual 18 to 20 percent for table service, and at a market counter a small tip is appreciated but not required. Some roadside stands list prices on a board with a cash box, and a few take cards; carry small bills and coins, since the owner is not there to make change.

How do you remember what you ate in Lancaster County?

A day of market stalls and roadside stands blurs fast. In the Mosey app, rate each thing as its own dish: the whoopie pie from one stall, the shoofly pie from another, the chicken pot pie soup at lunch. A line such as "wet bottom, not too sweet" tells your future self what to buy again. Tags like Bakery and Family Friendly mark the stops worth a second visit.

Keep a list for the trip with a section for Central Market, the roadside stands and the family-style table, and send the invite link to the friends in the car. Many Pennsylvania Dutch baked goods are made in shared spaces, so if a friend avoids wheat or eggs, the Hide dishes that list filter hides dishes where a place has listed that allergen. A stand with nothing filled in says allergens not listed, so ask before you buy.

On your next market morning, rate the first thing you eat in the Mosey app, then start the list.

Heading somewhere else in Pennsylvania? The Food in Pennsylvania page links the rest.

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