Our Most Traditional Amish and Mennonite Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional Mennonite food? ›

Russian Mennonites also commonly participate in a late-afternoon lunch called faspa, which usually consists of zwieback, deli meat, raisin buns, pickles, and cheese (especially cheese curds). This meal is easy to prepare and intended to give farmers a mid-afternoon lunch and Mennonite women a rest on Sunday.

Traditional Amish food includes dishes like tasty roasted chicken, creamy mashed potatoes & gravy, seasoned vegetables, fresh bread, and homemade jam. The Amish are also known for excellent baked goods, especially pies, cookies, breads, cakes, and fry pies.

Old Order Mennonites allow technology in the home, as well as the use of cell phones. In addition, Old Order Mennonites worship in meetinghouses. Amish people tend to avoid electricity, and almost every sect chooses to worship in the home instead of a meetinghouse. Modern Mennonites are even more different.

They also enjoyed non-alcoholic drinks such as peppermint water and garden tea for refreshment on hot summer days. As the Evangelical movement grew, strict temperance became the dominant view, especially among Mennonites and Brethren.

And they all said, au contraire, mein herr. Mennonites love coffee.

Moist breads, heartwarming casseroles, sweet bakes, and more delicious goodies fill the Amish breakfast table. So we rounded up 13 of our favorites, from Amish Friendship Bread to Herman Biscuits to Mennonite Fritters, to showcase the sweet, tangy, and savory recipes our home cooks love.

The recipes for Amish dishes have been passed down generations and have been perfected over time. The Amish are very particular about preparing their meals and have been perfecting their recipes for centuries. They're also very particular about how they store their baked goods.

According to the Amish 365 website, pizza is a favorite for Amish families. “The Amish have had a long love affair with pizza,” the site, which focuses on Amish and Mennonite recipes and culture, states.

Drop in to visit an Amish family and they'll quickly invite you to share some popcorn and ice cream. It might be pretzels or chips. One always has to have something salty with ice cream. It's really special if it's hand cranked.

What do Amish like to drink? ›

Many Amish people enjoy beer or wine at feasts or even at home, and some even produce their beers. It's a part of their Germanic heritage and as such is seen as part of their culture. Therefore, it's not unusual for Amish men to turn one of their barns into a space for creating community craft beers.

Each person sleeps on their side of the bed, with a board in between them to prevent any physical contact. The couple is allowed to talk to each other during the night, but they're not allowed to touch each other.

Unlike the Amish, Mennonites are not prohibited from using motorized vehicles. In addition, Mennonites are also allowed to use electricity and telephones in their homes. When it comes to their beliefs, the Amish and Mennonite faiths are very similar. The differences lie mainly in the outward practice of those beliefs.

Amish are not allowed to marry anyone outside their religious circle, even Mennonites. A Mennonite wishing to marry an Amish should convert and be baptized into the Amish church. Other faiths may view Mennonites and Amish to be similar in faith. However, marriage between these two congregations is not allowed.

Generally speaking, Mennonites typically eat more fruits and vegetables than the average person. There is no 'typical' diet for Mennonites, and their diets vary depending where they live. Mennonites may eat pasta, rice, and some local foods.

Traditionally, Mennonites sought to continue the beliefs of early Christianity and thus practice the lovefeast (which includes footwashing, the holy kiss and communion), headcovering, nonresistance, the sharing of possessions and nonconformity to the world; these things are heavily emphasized in Old Order Mennonite and ...

Basic beliefs of Mennonites are based on Jesus Christ's teachings in the Sermon on the Mount as well as the Anabaptist Confession of Schleitheim. These basic beliefs include strict pacifism, shunning oaths, adult baptisms, foot washing, church discipline (excommunication), and separation from world, among others.