When I first heard of Bethlehem, PA, where I was going to attend Moravian College four years ago, a small, Christmasy colonial village came to mind. Being from Connecticut and going to college in Bethlehem, I have discovered that there is a rich history that is about more than Moravian settlers and Christmas traditions. This post will be dedicated to that history, in a condensed version that relates specifically to the foods being brought to our city and still shared with the community today. 

Bethlehem was founded in 1741, by the religious group from the Moravian Church. The first land that was purchased was where the Monocacy Creek flows into the Lehigh River. It was actually christened as Bethlehem on Christmas Eve, living up to the storybook Christmas ideal the city celebrates today. The Moravians began planting white oak trees and building their small community on this 500 acre plot of land. The buildings and structures were Germanic styles, with many still standing today. This includes the second-ever built structure by these early settlers, the 1741 Gemeinhaus. These buildings are considered the “finest examples of 18th century colonial Germanic architecture in America,” according to the Bethlehem Digital History Project. The Moravians settled from all over Europe, and their main language was German. However, 15 different languages were spoken during this early period. Education was considered to be of utmost importance for both boys and girls, and Benigna Von Zinzendorf created the Bethlehem Female Seminary in 1742, which eventually grew into the 6th oldest college in America, Moravian College. Go Benigna! Music was also a prominent aspect in the Moravian society, with the Bach Choir of Bethlehem and the Moravian Trombone Choir carrying on that tradition today. In the 1800s, Bethlehem began changing and expanding, with the city being incorporated as a borough instead of simply a closed community in 1845. Railroads jump started the production of zinc, iron, steel, cigars, and silk in the mid-1800s. The city kept growing and growing, with more immigrants traveling from all over Europe to live in this historic city. 

One of the most famous industries in Bethlehem was the steel industry, first established in the mid-1800s, as previously stated. The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was incorporated into the town in December of 1904, acquired by steel entrepreneur Charles Schwab. Bethlehem Steel was the world’s largest shipbuilder during World War II, building 1,127 ships during this time period. The steel industry rapidly grew over the next hundred years or so, and its facilities stretched from coast to coast, with employment being over 300,000 workers during its peak. Bethlehem Steel was, and still is, one of the most prominent features of this city which people associate most often. It was the lifeblood of many residents, and in 1916 became the nation’s 2nd largest steel manufacturer, behind U.S. Steel. The steel produced in the city made many prominent buildings that are easily recognizable and in use today, such as the Chrysler Building, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Madison Square Garden, possible to create. Devastating for many, in 1995 Bethlehem Steel shut its doors for good. Loss of money throughout previous years led to the eventual shutting down of the company. This was a huge cultural shift in Bethlehem, as they had always defined themselves by the successful steel industry. Touchstone Theatre created a festival called Steel Festival: The Art of an Industry in 1999, to celebrate and mourn the loss of this iconic industry in Bethlehem. A production titled “Steelbound” was performed on the site of the foundry itself, and featured a chorus of actual steel workers along with professional and community actors. This production was a version of Prometheus Bound that was performed in the closed Bethlehem steel plant. Festival UnBound celebrates the 20th anniversary of this event, asking how our city is defining itself without the steel industry in place. 

South Bethlehem is an area that is responsible for many new cultural foods and ethnicities coming to the city. Established as a borough in 1865, waves of ethnic immigrant labor found employment in the production of steel. As South Bethlehem’s population increased, so did the establishment of working class neighborhoods and churches. Many immigrants were of Hispanic descent, coming mainly from Puerto Rico, according to the South Bethlehem Historical Society. Because of Bethlehem Steel, the city’s population grew even more diverse, giving it a unique blend of all different cultures that could bond over many familiarities, including food. This Latino migration brought many bodegas and Hispanic restaurants to Bethlehem, and many are still in operation today. These are mainly located in the “4 Blocks International” neighborhood, which celebrates this diversity of South Bethlehem that is so prominent in our city’s early formation. This neighborhood was established in the early 1900s, and according to the 4 Blocks International website, the ethnic groups living here included Russians, Slovaks, Windish, Pennsylvania Germans, Italians, Polish, Greek, Irish, Portuguese, Mexican, and Puerto Ricans. It was always a working-class neighborhood, and currently is home to many programs for immigrant integration, still keeping the vibrant culture alive. 

Now that we’ve gone over the basic building blocks, or beams of steel, that formed Bethlehem as we know it today, I want to focus on the food that was commonly eaten and found in the city that still tie into iconic recipes and traditions. Since the early Moravians mostly came from Europe, many culinary staples traveled with them. People usually ate lots of grain and crops, including wheat, barley, corn, and rye. The Moravians created many popular dessert foods that we still find in Bethlehem today, including Moravian Sugar Cake, which is eaten at Moravian College on every Heritage Day, and made throughout the city. Fastnachts, circular mini donuts covered in sugar, Moravian spice crisp cookies, and molasses cookies are also common dessert items. Corn was and still is a popular ingredient, because of the vast cornfields around the Lehigh Valley. Pierogies, commonly a Polish dish, are found everywhere in Bethlehem, dating back to their Pennsylvania Dutch roots. Because of the booming steel industry, there was a vast array of immigrants who came to Bethlehem. Many came for the job opportunities, and lived within walking distance of the factory. Thus, our culinary heritage became full of new spices and flavors such as pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Drinks, such as Birch beer, became popularized using birch tree sap as early as 1707, according to Bethlehem’s official city website. Of course, we cannot talk about food in Bethlehem without mentioning Peeps, made in the Just Born factory in the city. This company also produces Mike and Ikes, Peanut Chews, and Hot Tamales candy. You might be able to spot various Peep cars from the factory traveling all over Bethlehem, adorned with giant versions of the iconic yellow chicks! 

In Bethlehem today, our vast array of food and culinary variations draws in many people. In Downtown Bethlehem, there are over 80 restaurants to choose from, all with different styles and types of food to suit your tastes. There are more traditional restaurants, such as the Sun Inn, created in 1758, that offer staples from Bethlehem’s beginnings. We have restaurants ranging from Italian, Polish, Pennsylvania Dutch, Mexican, American, and Thai food, including basically everything in between. There is no doubt that one of the ways Bethlehem is identifying itself without the steel industry is through its food, expressing the community and cultures that started it all. 

~ Corinne Philbin