Celebrated on 11/09/2026
Scrapple is a Pennsylvania Dutch dish made from pork scraps and cornmeal, often called the 'first pork sausage' in America. National Scrapple Day is celebrated annually on November 9th, a date chosen to honor the dish's role in American culinary heritage. Despite its humble origins, scrapple has a dedicated following, with festivals and competitions held in its honor.
Scrapple originated in the 17th and 18th centuries among German settlers in Pennsylvania, who created it as a way to use every part of the pig after butchering. The dish combines pork scraps (including head, heart, liver, and other trimmings) with cornmeal and spices, then formed into a loaf and sliced for frying. National Scrapple Day was established by the Scrapple Manufacturers Association in the early 2000s to promote and celebrate this regional delicacy. The date November 9th was chosen to fall before the holiday season, when scrapple is traditionally enjoyed as a hearty breakfast.
Over time, scrapple has evolved from a frugal farm dish to a celebrated regional specialty. Modern versions often include variations like turkey scrapple or low-sodium recipes, but traditional pork scrapple remains most popular. Today, National Scrapple Day is marked by restaurants offering special scrapple dishes, social media campaigns, and community events like the Apple Scrapple Festival in Bridgeville, Delaware. The day also highlights scrapple's role in Pennsylvania Dutch culture and its growing recognition in broader American cuisine.
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