Food otherwise wasted turned into something delicious? That would be scrapple, pork-processing scraps turned into a high-calorie breakfast staple that’s popular in eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and Delaware.

Produced by RAPA (Bridgeville, Del.), Kirby & Holloway (Harrington, Del.), or Habbersett in Philadelphia, scrapple is basically pork scraps combined with cornmeal, flour, and spices.

The “RAPA” brand name is derived from Ralph and Paul Adams, in business since 1926. RAPA lists its ingredients as “Pork Stock, Pork Livers, Pork Fat, Pork Snouts, Corn Meal, Pork Hearts, Wheat Flour, Salt, and Spices.”

After the mixture is shaped into a loaf and left to set, it’s cut into quarter to half-inch slices to be pan-fried to perfection. Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium (375°F), add butter or oil, and brown each side for approximately 5-8 minutes. Aim for a crispy exterior crust and a soft center.

Introduced as “pannhaas” in the 1800s by German immigrants in Pennsylvania, scrapple goes well with eggs, hash browns, and toast, or pancakes, or waffles, along with sweet or savory condiments such as apple butter, jelly, maple syrup, honey, or mustard. Scrapple sandwiches are not unheard of.

Since 1992, scrapple’s popularity on the Delmarva Peninsula has been celebrated on the second weekend of October during the annual “Apple Scrapple Festival” in Bridgeville.

Although covid-19 has cancelled the 2020 festival, RAPA and T.S. Smith Apple orchards have issued this invitation:

• 2021 Apple Scrapple Festival will be held October 8-9, 2021.
• Notable events will include the Ladies’ Iron Skillet Toss, the Scrapple Chunkin’ Contest, and the Mayor’s Scrapple Sling.
• Look for a food court and street dance, plus carnival rides, kids’ games, live entertainment, car show, trade show, two craft shows, and delicious food vendors, including apple dumplings, scrapple sandwiches, oyster sandwiches, hamburgers and hotdogs, barbecue beef sandwiches, ice cream, and much more.
• “Apple Scrapple” has grown from 2,500 visitors its first year to over 20,000 now and was incorporated in 2002.

All this from pig scraps?