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Ohio Proud—Trail Bologna and Swiss Cheese

Do you know what this is? I thought everyone knew, but I understand it's a mystery to some. Or maybe it's just the meat that's in it that is the mystery.

This is Trail bologna. Trail is capitalized because it's named after the little town of Trail, Ohio which is a bit like a smudge on the road. I'm not disparaging the town so much as I am trying to describe the size of it. I've read the town was named for a well-known trail that native Americans had beaten down before the Europeans moved in.

In 1912, the Troyer family started making this bologna in Trail, and the family still has quite a little general store and meat processing business. During hunting season, you can take your deer kill to the store, and they'll butcher it for you. They'll even turn the whole animal into bologna, if that's what you like.

People who serve Trail bologna usually slice it kind of thin and serve it on a platter with cubes of Swiss cheese. Central Ohio is full of all kinds of things, but mostly Swiss cheese.

These photos, by the way, were taken in the refrigerator section of my local grocery store, with the two items side by side. Not only are the two things served together, they're sold together, too.

What do people eat where you live that the rest of us might not know about?

Comments

MmeBenaut said…
Well, kangaroo is on the menu at the Warrawong Sanctuary Restaurant. I must admit that I found that a bit strange!
11:16 AM
Lori Lamb said…
Love your blog! I grew up in Ohio and am coming back for a visit (to the Akron area) in Sept and I'd love to buy some Trail Bologna. Any idea where I can purchase it in the Akron area?

Thanks for your help!
7:11 PM
J said…
Did you know that the Troyers were not the first family to make this Trail Bologna? They purchased the recipe for $25 from the Weiss family who lived in Trail, Ohio and had been making it for some time.
4:45 PM
Anonymous said…
TRAIL BOLOGNA!!!! Apparenlty growing up in OHIO and having being born in PA where I spent every summer I grew believing that trail bologna/ring bologna was a common settlers staple...guess NOT!!! I wanted to use it to make my boys "lunchables". Not happenin in the south! SO I have family members in OHIO on the search which for them ought to be easy as this is common at "home". Being a military family I thought I could get it at the commissary as they sometimes carry the odd and unusual (who knew trail bologna would be in that catagory) from all over so ppl stationed in other areas have "home" foods. Nope...but if I get a UPS they will see if they can get it...Next trip to OH is in December...guess what I plan to carry home?! Great blog with great info! Long live trail bologna! :)
Avien
USMC~Wife
Parris Island SC
9:21 AM
Anonymous said…
TRAIL BOLOGNA!!!! Apparenlty growing up in OHIO and having being born in PA where I spent every summer I grew believing that trail bologna/ring bologna was a common settlers staple...guess NOT!!! I wanted to use it to make my boys "lunchables". Not happenin in the south! SO I have family members in OHIO on the search which for them ought to be easy as this is common at "home". Being a military family I thought I could get it at the commissary as they sometimes carry the odd and unusual (who knew trail bologna would be in that catagory) from all over so ppl stationed in other areas have "home" foods. Nope...but if I get a UPS they will see if they can get it...Next trip to OH is in December...guess what I plan to carry home?! Great blog with great info! Long live trail bologna! :)
Avien
USMC~WIFE
Parris Island SC
9:21 AM
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