Hi! I'm Sarah, and I created (what was to become) Vrapple in 2001, to try to satisfy the cravings of my then boyfriend, who was now a vegetarian, but had grown up on Scrapple, up in Reading, PA. Though I worked in restaurants for 25 years, I am not a trained chef, but I've always loved to cook. I collect cookbooks, and already had several Amish-Mennonite cookbooks, and living in Philadelphia, I had access to excellent local ingredients that were the core ingredients of Scrapple. After reading up on Scrapple, I figured I could 'probably' make a reasonable vegetarian version, since so much of the ingredients were just like a cornmeal mush/polenta with spices. What I eventually came up with was actually Vegan!

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So WHAT is in Vrapple? Basically it's Seitan (wheat gluten), cornmeal, buckwheat flour, vegetable stock and spices. Its flavor is reminiscent of holiday stuffing, with a black pepper kick. All of the ingredients are Vegan, Non GMO, and many are Certified Organic. My goal is to be able to source ALL Certified Organic ingredients - so just know that that I am working on it! For a deep dive into the ingredients, I have added full nutrition panels for both the 4 pack of links and the 2+ serving of the traditional-style loaf at the bottom of this page - so please check them out!

 

Want to know more about the history of Vrapple? Here you go! Now, mind you, I had never tasted Scrapple at the time.... But I was living in Philadelphia, an area that is inundated with awesome diners, stores and regional roadside markets that all carried it. But I wasn't interested in eating the 'real thing,' even though I am not a vegetarian (I'm a confirmed Omnivore). My objection to Scrapple was/is based on my objection to the living conditions for pigs in 'Confined Animal Feeding Operations,' also known as CAFO's (or Factory Farms). CAFO's are the way most of the Pork in the US is brought to market. If you are interested in learning more about this, I recommend this short article.

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So after I came up with my final 'draft' of a recipe, I had a few friends (with a LOT of Scrapple experience) taste it, and folks told me I had nailed it! (I also did try it once at a diner out in Lancaster. Yep, mine tasted right, and yep, I did not need to try it again, lol) Fast forward to 2008, and I decided to bring Vrapple to market. We even showed at ScrappleFest 2009 at the Reading Terminal Market, giving out over 1,000 samples! They held a Scrapple Recipe Contest that day, and our dish made with Vrapple came in SECOND against SEVEN pork-based Scrapples! I sold Vrapple commercially through 2010, when I moved back to California for family reasons. I had hoped that Vrapple would find a new producer in the Tri-State area, but alas, that was not to be.

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And so here we are in 2024, and with the increase in folks choosing a Vegan lifestyle, so many omnivores choosing to make more of their meals meatless, and that I still get emails and messages from folks asking if Vrapple will ever come back again...it seemed like now was the time!

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Though it's now made in California, rest assured it is still my original recipe! It just comes from a different zip code :) I make the Vrapple in small batches in the commercial kitchen of Dillon Bread Company (where we also produce our Spirited Sweets Chocolates), in Vallejo, California. I'd love to know how YOU Vrapple! Tag us @thevrapple on social media to show us how you like to prepare and eat Vrapple!