National Bologna Day

 News of the day:

1. Still foggy.
2. October 24th is National Bologna Day.

Does anyone eat bologna sandwiches anymore? Now most of us are too good for plain bologna, so we eat that processed "turkey" and "ham" out of plastic tubs, and I wonder if it's any healthier.

Bologna has been around since about the 1400s. Typically, it’s made of ground beef, pork or both, with little chunks of fat like good Italian Mortadella. Why hide it? But U.S. government regulations require American bologna to be finely ground without visible pieces of lard.  There are many different kinds around the world, and no doubt some are much better than others, but the bologna most Americans are familiar with has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R. 

The Pennsylvania Dutch and Germans love their sausage and curred meats.  We can't help ourselves, it's in our genes, like pasta to the Italians.  The Pennsylvania Dutch make delicious Lebanon Bologna, which is dark, smoky, tangy and slightly sweet. Some people compare it to salami, but the taste is completely different. 

There was also something we called "ring bologna" that you can't seem to find on the west coast. Hillshire Farm sausage is a sad imitation.  In the old days, ring bologna was naturally smoked, and eaten cold.

After a big Sunday dinner at our Grammy's farm in Quakertown, we kids played and the adults talked and relaxed until it was time to eat again.  Grammy started making supper right after lunch dishes were done. Supper was fried potatoes made in a cast iron pan, cold cuts, cheese, bread, many kinds of pickles and of course the leftover pies and cakes. I can still taste that slice of white bread folded around a piece of Lebanon balogna.

The food was plain and maybe a bit heavy, but everything was wholesome. I really can't remember eating between meals in those days, although someone must have handed us a pretzel now and then. This was before junky snacks had been invented.  Potato chips still came out of a can, and were just for special occasions. Gosh, I'm getting old.

If you're from eastern Pennsylvaina, you can't pretend that you've never eaten a fried bologna sandwich, or had fried bologna and eggs for breakfast.  Happy National Bologna Day!