1/12/2007

Snack Food Capital Perfect Place to Celebrate National Snack Food Month

SNACK FOOD CAPITAL:
THE PERFECT PLACE TO CELEBRATE
NATIONAL SNACK FOOD MONTH

 York, PA – Every holiday has an associated tradition, on Thanksgiving families travel over the river and through the woods to grandma’s and on the Fourth of July to fireworks displays.  So, the logical destination for celebrating February’s Snack Food Month is York County, Pennsylvania, the Snack Food Capital of the World.

While motorcycle enthusiasts flock to York to experience the world-famous Harley-Davidson tour, there’s no better place for snack food devotees to have their snack attack than on the production floors of their favorite indulgences.  Many of America’s favorite potato chips, candy, pretzels, ice cream, and cookies are baked, popped, fried and seasoned to perfection in York County. 

Visitors to the Snack Food Capital of the World can celebrate this tasty time of the year watching creamy milk chocolate gently enrobing peanut butter centers at the Wolfgang Candy Company, voted one of the “Top 5 Tasty Tours” in the nation by the Food Network.  At the conclusion of the tour, visitors watch as it all comes together on a hand-packing line that is reminiscent of that signature I Love Lucy episode that we all know and love. And, of course, the tour would not be complete without a mouth-watering sample and a stop in the authentic outlet store, where raisins are hand-coated for Wolfgang’s popular clusters.

Ever tried a warm potato chip?  You can at Martin’s, known for their “kettle cooked” chips, which have been a favorite aboard Air Force One during both the Clinton and Bush administrations.  The tour begins at the arrival point of the raw potatoes and proceeds through the entire process that produces more than 1.5 million bags of chips per month.  But, it takes just one sample from the production line to create a lifelong warm potato chip aficionado. 

Would 12,000 potato chips per hour be enough to satisfy your snack craving?  Originally producing only 50 pounds per hour, Utz Snacks has grown into a 24/7 operation.  See the process that uses different size potatoes for different size bags to ensure that the chips will fit right for ultimate snacking enjoyment.  According to one visitor, “I have arrived in chip heaven.”

Pretzels are rolled, baked, salted, twisted and best of all eaten during a trip to Snyder’s of Hanover, a York County signature snack.  The hard pretzel had its beginning in Pennsylvania quite by accident.  Fortunately, Snyder’s perfected the process back in 1909 and is currently the number one distributor in the country. 

If the salty, crunchy allure of pretzels is your thing, also plan to visit Revonah Pretzels for a sneak peak behind the scenes of their original hand-twisted hard pretzels.  These pretzels are proudly sent by request to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Orlando Magic and the Chicago Bears coaching staff.

Tired of brain freeze when eating ice cream?  You won’t have that problem eating your complimentary cone at the end of Hope Acres Robotic Dairy Farm tour, one of only 10 robotic dairy operations in the United States.  This specially designed ice cream has 18% cream, with no added air, as opposed to most that only have 10%-12% cream and added air.  Science aside, it is called ice cream after all.

There are 13 different animals represented in each box of Stauffer’s famous animal crackers.  Don’t forget to stock up on this local and global favorite during your visit to the area.  The Stauffer’s outlet is the place to go to grab your share of this tasty American standard.  Indeed, York County is the best place to stock up on all your favorites at bargain prices from authentic factory outlets.

Nestled in the scenic heart of Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country Roads Region, York County is just a short drive to other popular snack destinations, including Hershey’s Chocolate World and Herr Foods Snack Food Factory Tour.  Staying awhile in the area is easy with a snack food-themed getaway package.  Visit www.yorkpa.org/snackfood for more details.

 Most tours are free.  In fact, they’re better than free, because you get to sample their goodies.  Click Here for a taste of what York County serves up for snack food tours during February’s Snack Food Month as well as throughout the rest of the year.