What States Are Part of the Mid-Atlantic Region?

New York – America’s First Melting Pot

Founded as the Dutch colony New Amsterdam
Many that faced religious persecution fled to New York
Others arrived to seek a better life (refugees of the Irish Potato Famine)
Many cuisines are seen throughout the state (Chinatown and Little Italy)
Germans, Russians, Polish and Ukrainian Jews introduced the Delicatessens to areas of New York
Influences of the Caribbean, Puerto Ricans, and African Americans can be seen in Harlem
New York state is one of the nation’s top dairy producing states
More than half of the country’s farm raised ducks come from Long Island
State has over 3000 apple orchards – reason it is the state’s fruit

New Jersey – The Garden State

Nickname came from their being so many farms
Rich and plentiful soils make New Jersey a very productive farmland area
Leading producer of Clams in the US
Home to many famous food product companies (M&M’s candy, Campbell’s Soup, Oreo Cookies, Heinz Ketchup, Lipton Tea
One of the top ten producing states of blueberries, peaches, lettuce, tomatoes

Pennsylvania – The birthplace of American Independence

Philadelphia’s name is Greek for “City of Brotherly Love”
Specialties of these Quaker (which become known as the Pennsylvania Dutch) settlers were known mostly for their “plain and plenty” foods - breads, dumplings, doughnuts, and chicken pot pies
Food is one of the state’s most important products
Hershey is the world’s largest producer of chocolate
Like New York, Pennsylvania is one of the country’s leading dairy states (milk is the state’s most important farm product).
Leads the nation in the production of mushrooms

Maryland and Delaware

Chesapeake Bay provided colonists with a plethora of seafood which they learned to harvest because of the teachings of the Native Americans
Chesapeake translates to –great shellfish bay.
Oysters were found in great abundance and the shells were used for brickmaking and lining streets
Maryland produces more oysters than any state in the US
Delaware’s original settlers focused on agriculture (until disease killed many peach trees in the late 1800’s)
Began raising chickens as a food source and not just for their eggs.
Delaware is the nation’s second largest poultry producers
Delaware poultry breeder Frank Perdue is known for putting marigold into chicken feed which gives the skin that yellow golden color

Virginia and West Virginia

Economy of Virginia at one time was entirely based on plantations
Tobacco was Virginia’s major agricultural crop
As tobacco became less important of a crop, fruits and vegetables began to take the place
Virginia today is a major producer of apples, peanuts, and potatoes
West Virginia’s main commodity is livestock
West Virginia is the first state where Golden Delicious Apples were grown.

Apple Butter –butter like spiced apple spread made by the Pennsylvania Dutch
Beef on Weck – thinly sliced roast beef served on a caraway roll encrusted with salt and topped with beef juices and horseradish
Bialy – chewy round roll with an indented center where chopped onion or poppy seeds are placed prior to baking to a crisp golden brown
BoovaShenkel – Pennsylvania Dutch beef stew with potato dumplings
Borscht – a soup of beef, beets, and cabbage
Chicken Pot Pie – Pennsylvania Dutch chicken stew
Funnel Cake – crisp pastry eaten as a midmorning snack by Pennsylvania Dutch farmers
Latke – Jewish fried potato pancake
Lox – salt cured side of salmon (not smoked)
Maryland Stuffed Ham – a ham larded with cabbage, onions, mustard, hot pepper that is wrapped tightly in a cloth bag and simmered for several hours
Philadelphia Pepperpot – a soup made of tripe, pepper, and seasonings
Philly Cheese Steak – shaved ribeye steak and grilled onions served on a hard roll and topped with Cheez Whiz
Scrapple – pan pudding made of boneless pork (head cheese) and cormeal
Shoofly Pie – famous Pennsylvania Dutch pie consisting of brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter baked over a layer of molasses in a pie shell
Smithfield Ham – ham cured and smoked using a patented process created in Smithfield, Virginia