This Underrated 2-Ingredient Snack Is One Of Pennsylvania's Favorite

If you grew up in New England, perhaps it was a Fluffernutter sandwich that you reached for when your tummy started grumbling. In Pennsylvania, however, the go-to regional nosh is something a little more rustic. A favorite of the Amish community — which has contributed so much to Pennsylvania's culture and cuisine — cottage cheese with apple butter is the two-ingredient snack introduced by the Pennsylvania Dutch that satisfies your sweet and savory cravings in one fell swoop.

Facing religious persecution in Germany, Amish folks made their way to America and built a community beginning in the 17th century. At one point, the ethnic group known as the Pennsylvania Dutch made up as much as a third of the state's population. As such, many Germanic and Amish cultural traditions remain a vibrant part of Pennsylvania's regional customs (it's under Amish influence that Pennsylvania became the potato chip capital of the world!). With farming, craftsmanship, and self-sufficiency at the forefront of the Amish lifestyle, dishes like cottage cheese (or "smearcase" in the Pennsylvania Dutch language) and apple butter can be made from scratch using ingredients from the farm and are still popular within the community. For folks residing in Pennsylvania or those who live near Amish communities in other parts of the U.S., cottage cheese with apple butter is a familiar treat that can be eaten as is or smeared on crackers or toast.

If you're unfamiliar with apple butter, it's a condiment made by cooking down apples with sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Apple butter's origins are linked to Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. When the Amish emigrated to the U.S., they took this recipe with them as a means to preserve apples and enjoy them through the cold winter months. Both sweet and slightly tart, the rich, buttery spread (which contains no butter at all) is loaded with warming spices that taste like a fall harvest. Paired with creamy cottage cheese, which has a salty, creamy taste, apple butter produces a well-balanced flavor and a near-perfect snack.

Knowing that the Amish were the creators of the whoopie pie and the cottage cheese/apple butter combo, you may be thoroughly convinced in their ability to throw together a good meal. If you like the way they snack, there are loads of Amish restaurants you should visit in the U.S. These restaurants typically serve country favorites like fried chicken, meatloaf, buttered noodles, mashed potatoes, and green beans. On the dessert menu, you might find various baked goods and, if you're lucky, the winning combination of cottage cheese and apple butter.