Foods That Could Become Harder to Find
American food culture has always been changing, with regional specialties, old-fashioned recipes, and once-common ingredients gradually becoming less popular. Some foods have disappeared almost entirely, while others are still around but are produced less often or are becoming harder to find outside the places where they originated. If you enjoy discovering foods with a little history behind them, these 20 American favorites are worth trying.
1. Scrapple
Scrapple is a breakfast meat popular in Pennsylvania and other Mid-Atlantic states. Made with pork, cornmeal, and seasonings, it has a dense consistency and a devoted fanbase, though many younger diners may not realize that it exists. While people can find scrapple in certain supermarkets and diners today, it’s never achieved quite the ubiquity of bacon or sausage.
2. Goetta
Goetta originated in Cincinnati with German-American immigrants. It’s made by combining ground meat with steel-cut oats and seasonings, forming the loaf, slicing it, and frying it until brown and crispy. Goetta remains a beloved regional food but has limited reach beyond its traditional home.
David Berkowitz from New York, NY, USA on Wikimedia
3. Chow Chow
Chow chow is a pickled relish commonly made with cabbage, green tomatoes, onions, peppers, and other garden vegetables. Recipes will vary based on region and family traditions. Chow chow may be found in some areas of the South and Appalachia today, but people make it in large batches less frequently than in years past.
4. Livermush
Livermush is popular in the South, especially in western North Carolina. It's made with pork liver, cornmeal, and seasonings, then sliced and fried for breakfast or served in other meals. While longtime fans remain enthusiastic about it, the dish isn't exactly positioned for mass popularity among people unfamiliar with organ meats.
5. Salt-Rising Bread
Salt-rising bread is a type of old-fashioned American bread known for its dense texture and savory flavor. Instead of commercial yeast, it relies on fermentation to rise. It used to be commonly made in Appalachian households as well as Midwestern homes, but preparation can be labor-intensive.
Wonderland Kitchen on Wikimedia
6. Brunswick Stew
Brunswick stew is a historic Southern favorite. Virginia and Georgia each lay claim to being the stew’s birthplace. Traditionally, it’s made with a combination of meats and tomatoes, corn, lima beans, and other vegetables.
7. Burgoo
Kentucky is the home of burgoo, a thick stew similar to Brunswick stew. In the past, it may have contained many different types of meat as well as seasonal vegetables. Because it’s so hearty, burgoo is often served at festivals and other large gatherings.
8. Hoppin' John
Hoppin’ John is a combination of black-eyed peas, rice, and seasonings. It’s associated with the South and is also a popular dish to enjoy on New Year’s. There are many family variations, including the addition of smoked pork.
9. Red Flannel Hash
Red flannel hash originated in New England and is made with leftover potatoes, corned beef, and beets. The beets give the mixture its distinctive reddish appearance while adding sweetness to the savory ingredients. It was a great way to use leftovers when many people cooked from scratch, but fewer are familiar with red flannel hash today.
10. Pickled Watermelon Rind
Pickled watermelon rind takes the typically discarded rind of a watermelon and turns it into a sweet, tangy pickle. Throughout Southern and regional American cooking, people have served it on relish trays or alongside meals for generations. Since fewer households regularly preserve food at home, this old-fashioned preparation has become much less common.
C. Young & Sons' Co; Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection on Wikimedia
11. Shoofly Pie
Shoofly pie is a dessert that hails from Pennsylvania Dutch traditions. It typically consists of a molasses-based filling and a crumb topping. Many people may find its flavor too sweet or its texture too crumbly compared to modern pies, and while you'll still find it in Pennsylvania and areas with strong Pennsylvania Dutch traditions, it's far less familiar nationally than apple or pumpkin pie.
12. Moravian Sugar Cake
Moravian sugar cake has been a tradition for the Moravian sect in North Carolina for generations. It’s a yeast-raised cake topped with butter, cinnamon, and sugar that seeps into the dough as it bakes. People can find commercial brands today, but the old-fashioned way of making it at home isn’t as popular as it once was.
13. Tomato Aspic
Tomato aspic is made with tomato juice or other tomato-based ingredients and set into a savory gelatin mold. Once a fairly common dish to serve at luncheons or formal Southern dinners, it fell out of favor when people stopped cooking with gelatin regularly. Today, the idea of savory gelatin is considerably less fashionable, leaving tomato aspic as one of the more endangered dishes on this list.
Internet Archive Book Images on Wikimedia
14. Ambrosia Salad
Ambrosia salad is a mixture of oranges, coconut, pineapple, and sometimes marshmallows or other sweet ingredients. It became popular in the United States in the 20th century, showing up frequently at holiday meals and family gatherings. While it may still appear occasionally, ambrosia salad is increasingly rare outside of nostalgic contexts.
15. Watergate Salad
Watergate salad is made from pistachio pudding, pineapple, whipped cream, and marshmallows. Despite the implication in its name, it predates the Watergate scandal by several decades. Popular in American potlucks, its green color helped it stand out on holiday dinner tables, but while many people may have tried it at some point, it’s not as prevalent today.
16. Mock Apple Pie
Mock apple pie doesn’t actually contain any apples. Instead, it’s made by layering crackers with sugar, spices, and other ingredients to mimic the texture and flavor of apple pie. Evidence of the recipe’s peak popularity can be found on boxes of certain crackers that included the recipe printed on the back.
Internet Archive Book Images on Wikimedia
17. Graham Bread
Graham bread was made with whole wheat flour that was ground much more coarsely than typical commercial flours. It’s associated with Graham’s dietary teachings in the 1800s. Although whole-grain breads are certainly common, traditional graham bread is now much harder to encounter in everyday American baking.
18. Spoonbread
Southern spoonbread is a cornmeal-based dish that has a texture between cornbread and pudding. It’s traditionally served as a side dish but makes a comforting addition to many Southern meals. While it hasn't disappeared completely, it's no longer a routine part of most American dinner tables.
19. Apple Brown Betty
Apple Brown Betty is one of many crisps, crumbles, and cobblers in American cuisine. It’s made by layering cooked apples and sweetened crumbs before baking them to create a dessert. Since pies are significantly easier to make, desserts like Apple Brown Betty have fallen out of favor.
20. Indian Pudding
Indian pudding is a custard-like dessert from New England. Made with cornmeal, milk, molasses, and spices, it can take hours to bake. While it may be simple, Indian pudding is one of the least-known puddings on this list.
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