In Praise of Bologna

What Is Bologna, Exactly? (Apart From "Delicious")

Bologna is a cooked, smoked sausage made from ground meat scraps (usually pork, beef, chicken, turkey, or a combination of these), packed into sausages and cured similarly to its original Italian predecessor, mortadella. Bologna can be prepared with a wide variety of spices, smoked, or pickled.

Bologna is popularly sliced cold and served on sandwiches or chopped or cubed for inclusion in other recipes. Some fans prefer their bologna pan-fried for a different flavor. 

Different combinations of spices provide different flavors of bologna. Finely-ground bologna, combined with cheese, pickle relish, or olives, can be pressed into "loafs" for blended sandwich slices. Thicker chunkier bologna, heavily seasoned, is often formed into a ring-shaped casing, creating the popular summer sausage known as Ring Bologna.

The ways to prepare and enjoy bologna are endless, and every bologna lover has a favorite.   

Where Did Bologna Come From?

The origins of this delicious sausage lie in the Italian city of Bologna (not a coincidence) where a type of sausage known as mortadella had been beloved by the local population since the days of Roman rule. It was so popular that it eventually gave rise to new variations on the ages-old recipe. By 1661 the permutation of so many variations inspired the papacy in Rome to officially endorse a legal definition for mortadella, to protect its integrity. Mortadella was a "subtly seasoned delicacy made of lean pork speckled with lumps of lard." Variations of that recipe, no longer officially “mortadella,” needed a new name and soon came to be known by the name of mortadella’s hometown, as “Bologna sausage.”

Where Did America's Love Affair with Bologna Begin?

The exact path taken by Bologna sausage to North America is unknown, but evidence suggests it was brought through Europe and across the sea primarily by Italian and German immigrants. The Germans were particularly fond of their own recipes for bologna, many of which were brought to regions settled by Germans and passed down by their ancestors to the present day. Central Pennsylvania is one such area, where those very special bologna recipes continue to delight and satisfy bologna lovers throughout the region and beyond!

What Kinds of Bologna Does Stoltzfus Meats Offer?

At Stoltzfus Meats we love bologna so much that we’ve dedicated ourselves to bringing our customers the very finest bologna available. We specialize in bologna of the PA Dutch variety—the delicious regional treats created and happily eaten by Pennsylvania Dutch settlers and their descendants for generations. We’re proud of our offerings and we work hard to provide the very best varieties of this wonderful treat for our friends and customers.

Once you taste it, you'll understand why the bologna from Lancaster PA is so famous!

Sweet Bologna

Sweet Bologna is equal parts smoky and sweet. All-beef and 90% lean, our Sweet Bologna is made with local molasses and smoked in cotton bags. It is ready to eat but is also great sliced and fried lightly on both sides, which caramelizes the molasses. Delicious with cheese, crackers, or in a sandwich, this is a local favorite you’ll want to discover for yourself!

Ring Bologna

Ring Bologna is an authentic Pennsylvania Dutch specialty named for its distinctive ring-shaped casing. Our Ring Bologna is made with our own blend of spices and comes smoked and ready to eat—great for a snack, hors d'oeuvres, or delicious sandwich. Our ring bologna comes in four tasty flavors: Regular, Garlic, Cheddar Cheese, and Pepper Jack. Each variety is a perfect blend of herbs and spices, which makes a savory treat that’s perfect any time of the year.

Lebanon Bologna

Lebanon Bologna is a Pennsylvania Dutch delicacy, named for the town of Lebanon Pennsylvania. A cured, smoked, and fermented semi-dry beef sausage similar to salami, made with lean beef and an enzyme that accents the smokey flavor of the bologna with a piquant taste. Excellent fried, in a sandwich, or as a snack. While we don't make our own version of this product, we do sell Bomberger's Lebanon Bologna, a company well known for its quality. Try some today!

Jack's Mountain Bologna

A delicious bologna perfect for snacking, our new Jack's Mountain Bologna is shelf-stable, meaning that it can be safely stored and consumed without refrigeration (before opening). Great for taking on a camping or hunting trip, or as a stocking stuffer. A lean, all-beef bologna with a slightly sweet and tangy taste from the natural preservative of citric acid. Try some today!

As you can see, our larder here at Stoltzfus Meats is literally FULL of bologna! We invite you to try some yourself… our bologna is so good we bet you’ll want to be full of it, too!