If food is the way to one's heart, there must be a lot of loved people in Lancaster County. Taste buds will never be bored and stomachs will never be empty in this culinary destination, where local specialties like chow-chow, chicken pot pie and shoofly pie are plentiful, and local farmers' markets are brimming with farm-fresh produce, delectable desserts and artisan cheeses. It's no wonder that Lancaster County is known as the "Garden Spot of America!"

The region is best known for its traditional, hearty recipes passed down from generations of Pennsylvania Dutch families. These filling dishes are designed to sustain the farmers working in the fields, and with dishes like chicken pot pie, real mashed potatoes, ham loaf and shoofly pie, visitors looking to sustain themselves for a day of exploring will not be disappointed. Visitors can best experience the styles of Pennsylvania Dutch cooking with a visit to one of the area's traditional Pennsylvania Dutch restaurants. Styled as an all-you-can-eat experience, visitors can choose from sampling from a smorgasbord of different entrees or by eating family-style, where diners sit at long tables and pass heaping platters of Pennsylvania Dutch specialties.  

To learn more about the culture of these cuisines, visitors need look no further than one of Lancaster County's working canneries. Homemade jams and jellies, as well as home grown vegetables, are all preserved by Amish women and sold at markets and produce stands along the road. Visitors can sample locally-made canned goods fresh from local farms - everything from pickled beets and pepper jam to salsas and chow-chow, a Pennsylvania Dutch pickled vegetable mixture. The blend of fresh ingredients and family recipes reflect the simplicity of the Pennsylvania Dutch and their traditions. Additionally, visitors should definitely not miss the farmers' markets, where local farmers and standholders offer everything from just-picked produce to fresh meats and cheeses to ethnic specialties.  A definite treat for the taste buds!

This culinary concentration isn't limited to Pennsylvania Dutch influences, however. Pennsylvania Dutch Country is home to numerous family wineries and breweries, food factories and gourmet chefs who pride in creating new interpretations of local ingredients.  It's a foodie's sampler like no other!

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