LANCASTER, Pa. -- Michael Long may be an anachronism, but that doesn't keep a steady stream of shoppers from seeking out Famous Long's Horseradish.
''There used to be a horseradish man in every farmer's market," said Long, a fourth-generation horseradish grinder. ''Now there are hardly any of us left. It's an oddity. My horseradish is famous because people buy it and take it all over the place."
It's fitting that Long carries on the tradition at Central Market. There's been a market on this site since 1730, though the Richardsonian Romanesque red brick market building dates from only 1889. While it's possible to find sprinklings of Hispanic, Greek, and Middle Eastern foods, and even the occasional broccoli-cheddar quiche, the market is firmly grounded in the flavors of Pennsylvania Dutch country.
''We've always been at this spot," Long continued. ''My father was here for 55 years. This is the same machine he used."
Long cranked the wheel and pushed fat horseradish roots through the grinder. A small fan cleared the fumes; grinding horseradish is as tearful a task as chopping onions. He poured distilled vinegar into the ground roots, stirred the mix to a slurry, and spooned it into glass jars. All the while, customers shared cooking tips.
''I mix it with ketchup and mustard for shrimp dip," said one.
Another was partial to Long's horseradish pickles.
''I marinate chicken in the juice," he said.
Old-fashioned sweets also have a strong following. Shoppers often stop at Stoltzfus Homestyle Bakery for a Long John: a tubular raised doughnut slathered with vanilla, coconut, chocolate, or peanut butter frosting. They're also partial to shoofly pie, a sticky dish similar to pecan pie without the nuts.
''People always ask for 'wet bottom,' " said Dan Stoltzfus. In local parlance, that's pie in which the syrupy interior virtually dissolves the bottom crust.
The stall's best-selling item, though, is the healthier chow chow, a sweet-and-sour blend of pickled garden vegetables that is especially prized if it has lots of cauliflower florets. The chow chow that Stoltzfus carries has won three blue ribbons at state fairs.
Tastes are evolving in Lancaster County, and the market reflects a cautious foray into new foods. Lancaster Juice whips up fruit smoothies and wheat grass health drinks. Amish Family Recipes, run by the minister of the Lancaster County Bible Church, offers jars of all-natural apple butter, as well as a selection of Italian ices.
Many vendors grew up behind the tables. Standing next to a hand-lettered sign that implored ''Buy Fresh. Buy Our Home Grown Lettuce," Ethel Storer beamed at the greenery on her table.
''My husband's family has been growing vegetables for the market since 1900," she said with obvious pride. ''We're the third generation."
Lancaster Central Market at Penn Square, 23 N. Market St., Lancaster, Pa. 717-291-4723. Open Tuesday and Friday 6 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday 6 a.m.-2 p.m.
Patricia Harris and David Lyon are coauthors of ''The Meaning of Food." 
