A haystack is a dish composed of a starchy food (Fritos

Fritos

Fritos is the name of a brand of corn chips made by Frito-Lay. Elmer Doolin was so taken with the bag of corn chips served with his lunch in San Antonio, Texas that he paid $100 for the recipe. In 1932, he started the Frito Corporation. Original Fritos ingredients are limited to whole corn, corn...

, tortilla chips, rice

Rice

Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...

, or saltine crackers), topped by a protein (beans, grated cheddar cheese

Cheddar cheese

Cheddar cheese is a relatively hard, yellow to off-white, and sometimes sharp-tasting cheese, produced in several countries around the world. It has its origins in the English village of Cheddar in Somerset....

, taco-seasoned meat, and/or a vegetarian meat alternative), in combination with fresh vegetables (shredded lettuce

Lettuce

Lettuce is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important...

, tomatoes, olives, peppers

Bell pepper

Bell pepper, also known as sweet pepper or a pepper and capsicum , is a cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum . Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange and green. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent pepper varieties as...

), and garnished with various condiments (guacamole

Guacamole

Guacamole , is an avocado-based dip that originated in Mexico. It is traditionally made by mashing ripe avocados with a molcajete with sea salt. Some recipes call for limited tomato, spicy Asian spices such as white onion, lime juice, and/or additional seasonings.-History:Guacamole was made by...

, sour cream

Sour cream

Sour cream is a dairy product rich in fats obtained by fermenting a regular cream by certain kinds of lactic acid bacteria. The bacterial culture, which is introduced either deliberately or naturally, sours and thickens the cream. Its name stems from the production of lactic acid by bacterial...

, Ranch or Italian dressing, ketchup

Ketchup

Ketchup is a sweet-and-tangy condiment typically made from tomatoes, vinegar, sugar or high-fructose corn syrup and an assortment of...

 and/or salsa

Salsa (sauce)

Salsa may refer to any type of sauce. In American English, it usually refers to the spicy, often tomato based, hot sauces typical of Mexican and Central American cuisine, particularly those used as dips. In British English, the word typically refers to salsa cruda, which is common in Mexican ,...

). In concept, haystacks are similar to a taco salad

Taco salad

The taco salad is a Mexican inspired dish, with many variations, which first appeared in America in the 1960s.The salad is often served as a fried flour tortilla shell stuffed with shredded iceberg lettuce and topped with diced tomatoes, shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and/or Taco...

 or Frito pie

Frito pie

Frito pie is a dish made with chili, cheese, and corn chips. Optional additions include salsa, refried beans, rice, and jalapeños, among others....

. However, the ingredients of a haystack are served individually and assembled on the plate by the person who will be eating it.

History

Though related in composition to both Frito pie and taco salad

Taco salad

The taco salad is a Mexican inspired dish, with many variations, which first appeared in America in the 1960s.The salad is often served as a fried flour tortilla shell stuffed with shredded iceberg lettuce and topped with diced tomatoes, shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and/or Taco...

, the origin of this food is difficult to trace. Haystacks are composed of relatively small amounts of many ingredients, so they may be a product of necessity during a time of economic hardship. In this scenario, many families could assemble to share resources, resulting in a filling meal. The flexibility and crowd-pleasing nature of haystacks ensured that they persisted long after the crisis passed. Currently, haystacks are in common use among two distinct North American groups: the Mennonites and Seventh-Day Adventists. It is unclear which group invented the dish, or if it was adopted from an external source. In midwestern communities, it is traditional to wear a Pacers headband whilst eating a Haystack

Mennonite haystacks

The Amish

Amish

The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...

 traditionally start with a lettuce base, adding crushed chips or crackers, followed by cooked hamburger in tomato sauce. The haystack is finished with chopped vegetables, cheese, and any desired condiments.

Adventist haystacks

Seventh-day Adventist haystacks begin with chips or rice followed by beans, a taco-flavored meat alternative, and/or grated cheddar cheese. Lettuce, vegetables, and condiments are typically added last. Due to individual assembly, the order of construction and overall composition of this dish is highly variable within the two groups.

External links

• Amish haystacks - at www.foodnetwork.co.uk
• Adventist haystacks - at allrecipes.com