lebanon bologna tours

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Smokehouse tours -lebanon bologna? - Pennsylvania Forum

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Years ago we visited a company that was making smoked sausage meats and they gave us a tour of their smokehouses. It was somewhere near Hanover PA. They specialized in lebanon bologna and had samples of sweet, spicy and unsmoked. Tasted so good that I bought a 3 lb cub and my vegetarian friend changed her ways for fifteen minutes.

Anybody have an idea as where this could have been or if there any smokehouses giving tours and selling on property now?

I think Seltzer's gives tours. Don't know if that's the same one you went to in the past.

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

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You are here, pa is full of bologna... lebanon bologna.

When someone says, “Famous Pennsylvania foods;” what comes to mind? Most can come up with a list that includes the hoagie, Birch beer, Hershey’s Chocolate, Scrapple, Shoofly pie, cream cheese, and soft pretzels. One thing commonly left off the list, however, is a famous sausage and lunchmeat that originated in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania—Lebanon Bologna. Satisfying consumers for over 100 years, this bologna can be found in an assortment of savory flavors ranging from tangy to sweet. According to Stephanie Shapiro of The Baltimore Sun , this “cold cut remains a staple across a wide swath of the state and in areas around the country.”

Crafted and made famous by the Pennsylvania Dutch, the process of making Lebanon Bologna is unique. Although many methods of processing have been modernized by machines, some Old-World butchering, curing, and sausage-making skills from the Pennsylvania tradition are still used today. Ron Fouche, Director of Community and Government Relations and Quality Control for Seltzer’s Smokehouse Meats believes that the Lebanon Bologna process began over 100 years ago when farmers had old cows that they could not use for milk anymore. Farmers would take the skeletal meat (or meat off the bone) and salt it (to break it down) to create a lean product to use for bologna. Although Old-World butchering has been modified since the first days of Lebanon Bologna, we find that companies today still produce the signature bologna in similar ways.

The beef is ground, mixed with spices and sugar, and then sent to a meat processing plant. In large bins, the meat is stored in refrigerated areas and separated by the type of bologna it will become. When ready for processing, the meat from the bins is dumped into a rotating machine that finely grinds and softens the beef and pushes it through a metal tube. The tube separates the meat as either edible or inedible and detects for metal. The edible meat is then sent through a tube and pushed into individual, perforated muslin casings. After the meat is in the casings, it is put in to yet another netted material required for smoking. The un-smoked bologna is then taken to a smokehouse. Each bologna is hung by the netting in the ceiling portion of the smokehouse.  Once the smokehouse is filled, the door is shut and the hanging bolognas are ready to be smoked.

Companies that produce Lebanon Bologna have minute differences in their production methods. While Seltzer’s Smokehouse Meats adds potassium nitrate to its meat and spice mixture, The Daniel Weaver Company of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, for example, adds a starter culture. Despite their ingredient differences, each uses their various admixtures for the same reason—to lower the pH level of the meat mixture. This gives the bologna its distinct, tangy flavor and makes it last longer.  Another difference between companies is the way in which the bologna is smoked. Seltzer’s uses old-fashioned smokehouses, while Weaver’s and other companies use stainless steel smokehouses.

Seltzer’s old-fashioned smokehouses employ the traditional method of smoking bologna. They are lined with fire bricks and fueled by a combination of hard wood fire and steam. Ron Fouche notes that the fire pit is “nearly the size of a coffin” and located just under the ground. The old-fashioned pit smokehouses reach nearly 122 degrees and continuously smoke for 40 to 60 hours as they are tended to by Seltzer’s employees. This allows the net on the bologna to absorb moisture and let the juices soak in through the casing, creating a flavorful, succulent bologna. 

Using stainless steel smokehouses is yet another way of smoking bologna. After the bologna is hung by the netting, the automated smokehouse is then turned on. Rather than using a fire pit inside of the smokehouse, companies like Weaver’s use a smoke generator. Before reaching the bologna itself, the smoke from the generator first filters through water, which acts as a buffer to produce a cleaner smoke. The generator is able to run consistently for an unlimited amount of hours and has the capacity to make the bologna as smoky as desired.

After the smoking process is complete, the bolognas are taken from the smokehouses and tested to ensure that they are at the proper pH level (4.5-5pH). The bolognas are then marked and dated to guarantee quality control and put in large refrigerators for storage. From here they can be packaged, sliced, boxed and shipped to locations all over the United States.  

These processes do not just produce one type of Lebanon Bologna. Companies produce a variety of flavors in addition to the original smoked Lebanon Bologna. Customers can find products such as Sweet Lebanon Bologna, Double Smoked Lebanon Bologna, and Smoke ’N’ Honey Lebanon Bologna at Seltzer’s; and Regular Lebanon Bologna, Sweet Lebanon Bologna, Honey Bologna, and Low Sodium at Weaver’s. Alderfer’s and Kunzler’s offer Lebanon and Sweet Lebanon Bologna.  

Lebanon County is the home of Lebanon Bologna. The area itself was settled by many German immigrant farmers who lived on excellent crop-growing land. According to Christine Sholly in her master’s thesis Manufacturing a Tradition: How a Pennsylvania German Sausage Became Commodified in Lebanon, Pennsylvania , “Early accounts of the German settlers indicate they developed a greater dependence on meat in their diets than what they had been used to in their homeland.” This was due to the great amount of time they had to spend in the fields tending to their crops. Among their crops, almost every farmer raised cattle and pigs, mostly to satisfy their meat dependence. Each year, those living in the area would gather together for a butchering day, where farmers would butcher and prepare meat for the upcoming year. Many of the farmers liked to prepare sausage and bologna by salting, pickling, or smoking them because of the long-lasting nature of these meats.

The preservation of foods, especially of meats, was essential to farmers in times before modern inventions such as the refrigerator and freezer. Farmers needed a meat that could withstand the heat of the summer and last throughout the year. According to Jerry Landuyt, Manager of Weaver’s Famous Lebanon Bologna, they found that by smoking the meat and hanging it in their attic where it was dry, they could remove enough moisture that nothing would grow in it. This meat lasted so well that even if mold grew on the outside, Jerry says, “You could scrape it off and still be able to eat the meat on the inside.”

This is where the science of food meets tradition. The pH level is an important factor in explaining why farmers didn’t need to store their sausage or bologna in a cool area. The typical pH level of bologna is between 4.5 and 5 and this can be categorized as acidic. Bacteria tends to survive better in more alkaline environments (ones with pH levels that are above a 7), so one of the main ways to preserve food is to control its pH level. Farmers used pickling or smoking methods, since they create an acidic environment. Another way to prevent bacterial growth is to remove moisture. Bacteria need a certain moisture content to grow. By hanging bologna in a dry attic, the moisture will evaporate from the bologna and create an unappealing environment for bacteria growth.

The Pennsylvania Dutch made several types of sausages, including those commonly known today as bratwurst and liverwurst. Another specific German sausage, Summer Sausage, is thought to be the link to today’s Lebanon Bologna. Summer Sausage had a naturally “tangy” flavor, but when farmers added sweeter ingredients such as brown sugar, it combined sweet and tangy flavors. Depending on where you go in Pennsylvania, Lebanon Bologna is still commonly called Summer Sausage, but Summer Sausage is also a popular meat in the Midwest, and similarly, is a lean meat that is smoked and does not require refrigeration. The size of the Pennsylvania Summer Sausage was larger than typical sausages, and it is thought to be called bologna because of its larger girth and length. Summer Sausage did not spoil in the heat of the summer – hence its name. Summer Sausage and Lebanon Bologna seem to be most commonly confused with Salami, a lunch meat that is similar in appearance and size. Salami differs from bologna as it is a dried, Italian meat that can be made out of pork or beef.

So, how did the name Lebanon Bologna come about? It is now known that “Lebanon Bologna” originated before its primary production area was named Lebanon County; but, the coining of the name has been a source of debate throughout its long history. Because there were so many Lebanon Bologna makers around the time of its origin, the answer to this question still remains unclear. Some say George T. Brooks coined the name when he produced Brooks’ Original Lebanon Bologna in 1872. Other early butchers claim to be the “original” as well.

By the early 19th Century, notes Christine Sholly, nearly a dozen bologna manufacturers were in business. Figures such as George T. Brooks, who made Brooks’ Original Lebanon Bologna, Conrad Gerhart, Robert Eby of the Eby Bologna Company, Daniel Weaver of the Daniel Weaver Company, Daniel Baum of Baum’s Lebanon Bologna and Harvey Seltzer of Seltzer’s Smokehouse Meats all produced Lebanon Bologna. Many of these businesses prospered in their day, as they all competed to make the best bologna. Now, over 100 years later, only four competitors remain: Alderfer’s of Hollysville; Kunzler’s of Lancaster; Seltzer’s; and Weaver’s of Lebanon County.

Lebanon Bologna lovers everywhere are coming up with new and interesting ways to eat their bologna: rolled with cream cheese in the middle; grilled on the barbeque; as a finger food on a bologna and cheese tray; wrapped inside a crescent roll; or simply on a sandwich. Aficionados just can’t get enough. Companies like Seltzer’s ship over 125,000 pounds of bologna weekly to local stores and locations around the country. Lebanon Bologna has become so ingrained in the culture of Lebanon County that residents even drop a bologna during the countdown to the New Year. According to PennLive.com, a “12-foot long bologna weighing nearly 150 pounds” made by the Daniel Weaver Company is dropped in Lebanon on New Year’s Eve. Local manufacturers refute the 150 pound weight, insisting the bologna was, rather, a whopping 200 pounds. After the New Year’s celebration, the bologna is then donated to a non-profit organization and shared with many.

Whether it’s called Lebanon Bologna or Summer Sausage, eaten with cream cheese or on a sandwich, or made by Seltzer’s or Weaver’s, Alderfer’s or Kunzler’s, lebanon bologna and its original flavor will remain a Pennsylvania tradition for years to come.

• “About Us.” Godshall’s Premium Meat and Turkey Products . 2007. 23 Feb. 2010. < http://www.godshalls.com> .
• Fouche, Ron. Personal Interview and Factory Tour. 12 February 2010.
• “Home.” Lodi Sausage Co. & Meat Market . 23 Feb. 2010. < http://www.lodisausage.com> .
• Landuyt, Jerry. Personal Phone Interview. 24 February 2010.
• Miller, Barbara. “Bologna drop set in Lebanon New Year’s Eve.” PennLive.com . 18 Dec. 2008. 22 Feb. 2010. < http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2008/12/bologna_drop_set_in_l... .
• “Our History.” Seltzer’s Smokehouse Meats . 2001. 1 Feb. 2010 < http://www.seltzerslebanonbologna.com> .
• “Salami.” Webster’s Third New International Dictionary . 1993.
• Shapiro, Stephanie. “A slice of history.” The Baltimore Sun . 9 Nov 2005. 15 Feb. 2010. < http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2005-11-09/news/0511080137_1_lebanon-bo... .
• Sholly, Christine. “Manufacturing a Tradition: How a Pennsylvania German sausage became commodified in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.” MA thesis The Pennsylvania State University, 2007.  
• Silverman, Sharon Hernes. Pennsylvania Snacks: A Guide to Food Factory Tours . Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2001.  
• Thiel, Teresa. “Introduction to Bacteria.” Science in the Real World: Microbes in Action . 1999. 24 Feb. 2010. < http://www.umsl.edu/~microbes/pdf/introductiontobacteria.pdf> .

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• What Is Lebanon Bologna?
• What is Lebanon Bologna Made of?

Meet the Story Behind the Meat

Most popular lebanon bologna brands, 6 easy ways to enjoy & serve lebanon bologna, pa dutch food 101: what is lebanon bologna.

November 30, 2021 | Blog , In the Kitchen , Pennsylvania Dutch Food , Shopping at the Markets

If you’ve visited or moved into PA Dutch country, you’ve likely found some fun new foods unique to the area. From fresh Amish baked goods like whoopie pies to thirst-quenching Amish meadow tea , there’s a variety of distinct eats to try — one of which is Lebanon bologna.

What Is Lebanon Bologna ?

A type of cured meat, Lebanon bologna (also sometimes called sweet bologna) is a special type of beef-based sausage that is cured and smoked. It stands apart from regular bologna, which is often a mix of meats. Lebanon bologna is best to enjoy in sandwiches or appetizers.

If you’re wondering what Lebanon bologna tastes like (and if it’s good), many locals would compare its flavor to salami. It’s a semi-dry sausage and because of how it’s prepared, you’ll note it has smoky tones with a sharp, strong flavor.

What is Lebanon Bologna Made of ?

While regular bologna can include a mix of chicken, turkey, pork, or beef, truly authentic Lebanon bologna is made solely of beef. Aside from the meat, it also includes a distinct blend of salt, sugar, and spices (which are usually secret and proprietary to each brand).

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Wondering where Lebanon Bologna originated from ? If you know anything about Central PA, the name in itself is a huge clue! It originally came from the PA Dutch community

settling in Lebanon County, PA (about 30 miles from the State’s capital Harrisburg) around the mid-1700s to early 1800s. 

PA Dutch settlers were primarily German immigrants, who came to PA as a part of William Penn’s experiment in religious freedom. A lot of these settlers had agricultural backgrounds and were used to living off the land. 

And in a time where refrigerators were yet to exist, curing meats was a great way to ensure your meat supply lasted. Germany today still has a reputation for its deliciously cured sausages, so it’s no surprise that Lebanon bologna came from settlers rich in that heritage.

Lebanon Bologna Today

This treasured treat is still very popular and has a devoted following who seek it out while visiting Central PA. In fact, if you’re wondering where Lebanon bologna is made , there is still a popular and authentic company ( Seltzer’s ) that has been producing it in the region since the 1900s.

In the city of Lebanon, PA, the community even hosts a bologna drop every New Year’s Eve. So if you’re truly looking to become a connoisseur of this meat (or even planning to attend the Bologna drop) there’s only one key way to impress the locals — pronounce it right.

Because of the PA Dutch heritage, there is a unique local dialect around regional words, including Lebanon bologna. Always make sure to say “Leb-uh-nin ba-low-nah” when you’re asking for some.

Now that you know exactly what Lebanon bologna is , here are some of the most common Lebanon Bologna brand names you can buy:

• Seltzer’s Lebanon Bologna
• Boar’s Head Lebanon Bologna
• Kunzler Lebanon Bologna
• Weaver’s Lebanon Bologna

The key to finding real Lebanon bologna lies in how it’s made . First, always check the back to make sure the ingredients specify that the product is made from beef (not a beef mixture or artificial fillers).

Second, learn if the company is using a real smokehouse as opposed to artificial smoke. Actual smokehouses mimic the methods used by those early PA Dutch settlers, which means you get to enjoy a more authentic experience when eating it.

We also recommend shopping from a local, fresh deli so you can ask the merchant directly about where and who they source their bologna from. That way you’re not stuck trying to interpret the label with confusing industry terminology on your own.

How to Shop Bologna: What is a “Chub?”

Like any other deli item, you can buy this special sweet bologna sliced. However, you may come across a bologna “chub” for sale. This simply means you can buy a cylinder-shaped, uncut roll. In some cases, that may be the better option if you’re looking to stock up in bulk or cube it for a party.

Since this cured meat offers a different flavor from traditional bologna, here are a few suggestions on how you can enjoy it if you’re new to eating this treat. 

1. Buckeye Breakfast Sandwich

If you like breakfast sandwiches, another fun twist is to serve this cured meat alongside eggs. Here’s our favorite combo to try.

[ view buckeye breakfast sandwich recipe ]

2. Lebanon Bologna Sandwich

Lebanon bologna is wonderful to enjoy with the right combo of bread and cheese at lunchtime. Find our favorite lunch sandwich (with horseradish for an extra kick) at the link below.

[ view lebanon bologna sandwich recipe ]

3. Lebanon Bologna Roll-Up Recipe

Hosting can come with a lot of prep work, but with a little cream cheese and  five minutes to spare, you can easily use sweet bologna to whip up a delicious appetizer! Learn how to make these easy roll-ups from Kunzler.

[view lebanon bologna roll-up recipe]

4. Bologna Cucumber Slices

If you want a fresher (healthier) twist on the snack above, adding fresh cucumber can be a game changer. Here’s an easy and fancy looking appetizer to sink your teeth into.

[ view bologna cucumber slices recipe ]

5. Bologna Salad Spread

Simply grab a few ingredients and mix up this tasty salad to spread on your favorite brand of crackers, like regular saltines or Ritz crackers.

[ view bologna salad recipe ]

6. Fresh Charcuterie Board

It’s hard to say no to a good charcuterie spread, and Lebanon bologna can complement your offerings perfectly. It goes well with aged cheeses (like cheddar) or mild cheeses (like farmer’s cheese or muenster cheese).

Adding some fresh fruit like grapes or strawberries is a great way to offset its tangy flavor and freshen up your board. A spicy or sweet mustard on the side for dipping the sweet bologna is also a must.

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Lebanon Valley Spring Libations Trail: Check out who's on the list for 2024

Visit Lebanon Valley's Spring Libations Trail, a self-guided tour of local restaurants and craft breweries, will kick off in early April

Using a digital pass, participants will be able to check in at each location, earning them points to collect prizes such as decals, stickers, coasters and a hat.

While this year's trail will include many of the restaurants and breweries previously featured, Union House Taproom & Livery and Snitz Creek Palmyra are new additions.

“The Libations Trail brings together the best of the brewers in the Valley and some of our favorite restaurants that serve our local brews on tap for an experience like no other,” said Visit Lebanon Valley President, Jennifer Kuzo in a news release. “We may be known for our bologna here in the Lebanon Valley, but when it comes to brewing, we’ve got you covered as well.  Let’s raise a glass to the craft!”

The Spring Libations Trail starts April 4 with a now sold-out event at the Cornwall Inn and ends on June 15.

Here's a full list of participating restaurants and breweries:

• Blue Bird Inn:  2387 Cornwall Road, Lebanon
• Funck's Restaurant: 664 W Main St., Palmyra
• Isaac's Craft Kitchen & Brewery: 119 Springwood Dr., Lebanon
• Lebanon Valley Craft Brewery: 840 N 7th St., Lebanon
• Mick's All American Pub:  105 Springwood Dr., Lebanon
• Mt. Gretna Hideaway: 40 Boulevard Ave., Mt Gretna
• Quentin Tavern: 81 W Main St., Lebanon
• Rising Sun Bar & Kitchen: 2850 Horseshoe Pike, Palmyra
• Rotunda Brew Pub: 814 E Chocolate Ave, Hershey
• Rotunda Restaurant & Brewery: 245 W Main St., Annville
• Schaylor Brewing Company: 33 S 8th St., Lebanon
• Seven Cuz Beer Store: 1960 Quentin Road, Lebanon
• Fort Indiantown Gap: 1805 Fisher Ave., Annville
• Lebanon: 7 North 9th St., Lebanon
• Palmyra:2701 Horseshoe Pike, Palmyra
• The Gin Mill: 342 East Cumberland St., Lebanon
• The Union Beer House: 2631 Cumberland St., Lebanon
• Union House Taproom and Livery: 12 E Main St,, Richland

Daniel Larlham Jr. is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at [email protected] or on X @djlarlham.

Chopped: A Charcuterie Trail

While aged may not be the most delicious-sounding adjective for most foods, when it comes to charcuterie time is the secret ingredient. So, spend some time checking out our delicious charcuterie offerings, then start planning your trip.

Select a region to view an itinerary

Cured meats were born of necessity.

A mix of dried meats, berries, seeds and fat called Pemmican was a common variation. Pemmican was a nutritious mix that enabled many to thrive through harsh winters and rough treks through the mountains. While it's no longer commonly enjoyed, jerky made from venison, beef or even turkey remains a common snack throughout parts of Pennsylvania and beyond. In fact, jerky was listed as one of the hot food trends at The Specialty Foods Fancy Food Show in New York City in 2019.

Charcuterie traditions in the region evolved over time with the increasing and varied migration to the area often facilitated by the region's industrialization. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries and today, migration from Europe, Asia, and Central and South America has influenced these practices. The Dutch were the first large group of migrants to arrive in Pennsylvania, followed by the Swedish, Finnish, British, Germans, and Scots Irish. These western European groups were followed by Italians and Eastern Europeans around the end of the 19th century. By the early 20th century, Pennsylvania was home to the second-largest Italian population in the country and had more Polish, Slovak, Croatian, Slovenian and Ukrainian residents than any other state. Nearly half of all Ukrainian migrants to the country came to Pennsylvania during this time. Pittsburgh was the Ukrainian center of the region, and today still has the fourth largest Ukrainian population in the US. Today, the largest migrant populations to Pennsylvania are arriving from India, China, and more relevantly to this trail, Mexico.

Many early migrants to Pennsylvania settled in Philadelphia, while others moved to smaller towns and rural areas to work on the railroads, in coal mines, and in the lumber industry. For those near the port of Philadelphia, imported meats from their respective homelands were often available, while others in more remote towns and rural communities tried to make their own with whatever products were available and affordable, often smoking them in their backyards and storing them in cool, underground root cellars.

For example, in rural areas throughout the 1800s, most farmers had smokehouses in their backyards in addition to smoking areas or bacon shelves in their farmhouse chimneys. Late fall and early winter was the time for hog slaughtering, because the cold weather allowed farm families to preserve meat safely. A brine of salt, vinegar and spices was often used—very similar to what is used today. The fat from the animal was rendered into soap and saved for frying and baking. After smoking, in order to keep the meat safe from bugs and vermin, they were rubbed with pepper to keep bats roosting in the chimneys from having a nibble or were covered with herbs or muslin bags to keep skipping maggots (called hoppers) from landing on them. Recipes and curing methods were adapted based on the temperature and the types of cures available.

Specifically, kielbasa, ring bologna, soppressata, and sweet (or Lebanon) bologna are a few of the charcuterie that make Pennsylvania unique. Additionally, few states have as many processed venison products as Pennsylvania. Due to a growing elk population in the Northern section of the state, dried and cured elk meat has become uniquely popular in our region as well.  Kielbasa  is a Polish smoked sausage made of pork, although sometimes it includes some beef or even turkey. Spelled many ways, including kolbasa, kielbasa, klobase, kielbasi, and kolbassi, this sausage is often garlicky and loaded with black pepper. It has a chunky texture and is usually sold pre-cooked, although a fresh version is sometimes available. Kielbasa also included hot dogs, sometimes called a "Polish sausage" or "Polish dog." In addition to the Polish, kielbasa is special to many Eastern European communities with each group having their own mix of spices and seasonings for their kielbasa.

PA's eclectic culture contributed to our diverse charcuterie offerings.

Ring bologna.

Ring Bologna is a seasoned and precooked mix of beef and/or pork stuffed into a casing tube that is narrower than regular bologna. It's shaped into a ring and tied with string to connect the ends. It is often served sliced for eating with crackers or pickled in a mixture of vinegar and pickling spices. It's common in Pennsylvania German communities and also in the Midwest. Special note, ring bologna is the perfect car snack for trekking through this trail, because it is easy to slice and leaves no crumbs.

Soppressatta

Soppressata is Italian dry salami with coarsely ground visible chunks of fat. It is pressed under weights and cured, so the final product has a flattened appearance. Soppressata, often called "soupie", is made all over the state and originates from Southern Italy, but the coal regions in the center of the state seem to have the most clusters of "soupie" makers with "soupie" contests popping up at community events and fire department fairs.

Lebanon Bologna

Lebanon Bologna originates from the Lancaster and Reading areas, but most Pennsylvania German communities have their own version of this sweet and spicy circle of processed meat as well. This style of cured meat is thought to be a reproduction of an early 19th-century meat product common among German immigrants specifically from the Rhineland-Palatinate region. Some like it plain, fried in a skillet, or even rolled up with cream cheese inside.

Venison is a staple in the freezers of many Pennsylvanian hunters, as well as a lot of meat markets. Although we tend to think of deer meat as venison, the word actually includes deer, elk, reindeer, caribou, and antelope. In areas where hunting is popular, most butcher shops will clean and process venison, so hunters can have pepperoni, salami, meat sticks, and steaks all year long. If cooked properly, venison doesn't have the strong gamey flavor that scares many people off. Due to the type and amount of fat, elk meat is particularly less gamey than other types of venison. For getting your fill of local elk jerky or pepperoni, the Northern wooded counties, including Elk County, are the best bet.

Chorizo is a spicy, pork-based sausage that comes in both fresh and dried forms. In Mexico, chorizo usually contains raw pork and seasonings such as chili peppers and vinegar. Whereas in Spain, chorizo is most often cured and in addition to pork is loaded with garlic and smoked paprika. Although chorizo originated in Spain, it is part of many cuisines, including Puerto Rican, Portuguese, South American, Filipino, and Panamanian. Because of chorizo's popularity, many Italian markets now produce it as well.

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Watch PCn Tours - Seltzer's Lebanon Bologna

A behind the scenes tour of the Seltzer's Lebanon Bologna facility.

Wooden smokehouses at Seltzer's that stand thirty feet tall give Lebanon Bologna its unique taste. Inside, the meat is slow-cured, as it has been since 1902, over hardwood fires tended by hand.

• Genres Documentary
• Director PCN - Pennsylvania Cable Network
• Release Date 2000
• MPAA Rating NR
• Runtime 1 min

• All Products
• Beef Sticks
• Seltzer’s Outlet Store
• PA General Store

Original Bologna

Original lebanon bologna.

The one that started it all! Our Original Lebanon Bologna dates all the way back to our founder, Harvey Seltzer, who developed his secret premium spice blend in 1902.

We hang our Lebanon Bologna by stocking net in old-fashioned wooden smokehouses for three days to cure. The natural smoke aroma is distributed deep throughout the Lebanon Bologna balancing the tangy flavor of smoked beef and spices. Seltzer’s is always made entirely with all beef. It’s the traditional lunchmeat for a delicious sandwich.

Ingredients

Beef, Salt, Sugar, Dextrose, Spices, Lactic Acid Starter Culture, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite

Nurtritional Information

Lebanon County, PA news, events, and opinions.

Seltzer’s Lebanon Bologna vies to be named the ‘Coolest Thing Made in PA’

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Can Lebanon bologna unseat a Primanti Brothers sandwich as the pinnacle of “cool” in Pennsylvania?

That’s for the voters to decide.

The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry has launched its second annual “The Coolest Thing Made in PA” competition, and Seltzer’s Lebanon Bologna is vying to take the top spot this year.

The contest, according to the PA Chamber release , is “a unique, engaging, bracket-style competition that pits made-in-PA brands against each other in match-ups determined by public voting.”

The first contest in 2023 ended with Primanti Brothers, a chain based in Pittsburgh, in the top spot. The Primanti sandwich – consisting of two slices of Italian bread, grilled meat, melted provolone, vinegar-based coleslaw, sliced tomatoes, and french fries – bested contenders including the Hershey Kiss, Yuengling lager, Zippo lighters, Martin guitars, Mrs. T’s pierogis and the Philly cheesesteak.

This year, the release noted, “after deliberation and soliciting suggestions from Pennsylvania brand lovers, we’re going bigger and better than before by doubling both the number of entrants and voters’ chances to participate!”

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For 2024, the “Coolest Thing Made in PA” competition includes 64 made-in-PA products and encourages voting via the PA Chamber’s X and Instagram pages. The new bracket was unveiled on Monday, and voting began at noon on Tuesday.

Voting will continue each week through mid-April.

According to the Chamber’s schedule, voters can choose from the full list of 64 entrants until March 22, then the second round with 32 remaining contenders will run from March 26 to 29. The third round, with just 16 entrants left, will run April 2 and 3, and the fourth round, with eight remaining, will run April 4 and 5.

The semifinals will heat up the contest with the final four challengers on April 8 and 9. The championship between the big two will run April 10 and 11.

Other contenders this year include Tröegs Perpetual IPA from Hershey, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (also from Hershey), and Taylor Chip Cookies (based in Intercourse but with a stand at Hershey Fresh Market).

Also in the running are Crayola Crayons, Peeps, Wawa hoagies, Sheetz MTO, Pampers baby diapers, UTZ potato chips, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, Musselman’s applesauce, and Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour stage by Rock Lititz.

More information on the competition can be found online .

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Tom has been a professional journalist for nearly four decades. In his spare time, he plays fiddle with the Irish band Fire in the Glen, and he reviews music, books and movies for Rambles.NET. He lives with his wife, Michelle, and has four children: Vinnie, Molly, Annabelle and Wolf. More by Tom Knapp

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