During our stay in Northeast Indiana’s Amish country, Chris and I experienced an abundance of delicious food. The country side in LaGrange County, Indiana is dotted with farms that sustain both the local Amish population, as well as local markets and restaurants. The selection of locally grown fresh food rivals every mega mart and specialty grocer that we’ve ever been to. Visitors to Amish country can find fresh local produce, meat, cheeses, and even locally milled flour at amazing inexpensive prices. Local restaurants in Amish country offer a fantastic selection of meals produced from the fruits of local the local harvest. Here are a few of the items we found in our journey.
Chris and I had our first food find at Yoder’s Department Store in Shipshewana. Yoder’s combines a well stocked department store, a hardware store with every imaginable tool, and an IGA grocery store under one roof. Here you can find a hundreds unique items and curiosities, many of which you never knew existed. If you’re looking for high quality kitchen utensils or tools look no further – you will find it at Yoder’s. In the produce section of the grocery there was a great abundance of fresh in season fruits and vegetables. Tomatoes, onions, apples, and squash from local farms around Shipshewana filled the store along with gallon jugs of fresh pressed cider. This food was the real deal – no preservatives, no artificial anything, no hydroponic or greenhouse grown produce.
Just down Highway 5 E&S Bulk Food Store surprised us with more varieties of local foods. E&S carries bulk foods like pastas, dried beans, lentils, soup mixes, and all sorts of grains. The store is unique because all of the food items in the store are packaged in clear plastic bags – there are no flashy wrappers, cartoon icons on a cereal box, or advertising signs or banners in the store. The focus of the store is the food, and what great food they have. Locally grown and milled whole wheat flour, graham flour, unbleached white flour, oat flour, semolina, and probably ten other varieties of milled grains were available in quantities from ½ pound to 50 pound bags.
At Yoder Meat & Cheese next door, freezers from floor to ceiling stored packaged beef, pork, buffalo, chicken, and turkey in packs with single cuts up to bulk packages suitable for your home freezer. Natural casing sausages, dozens of cheeses, locally produced jams and jellies were available for tasting during our visit. The quality of everything we tried in the store and purchased to cook at our campsite was excellent. Each aisle we visited revealed new and amazing food finds.
The best of locally available meat and produce also means the best in dining. Restaurants throughout town produce comfort food favorites like fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, and hearty rich meat loaf. There are no commercial mass market eateries in town, instead visitors will find restaurants like the Blue Gate that serves family style meals complete with mashed potatoes and fresh in season vegetables in shared family sized portions. To top off a delicious meal at the Blue Gate there are dozens of varieties of pie available. These crispy crunchy baked goods filled with fresh fruits and other delicious surprises taste like an army of grandmothers must be at work in the kitchen to turn out these magnificent desserts.
When you visit Shipshewana, Indiana you will want to eat your way through town. This is a paradise of fresh locally produced food. From the grocery to the restaurants and cafes in town there are many delicious food adventures awaiting discovery in Northeast Indiana.
