Cornbread
(Journey Cake, Johnny Cake, Hoe-Cakes, Dodgers, Spoon Bread)
There is no food more American than the classic cornbread. The soft, but firm baked bread made with cornmeal is easily the most important memorabilia of the American past, which is especially associated with the American South. Corn has been a staple ingredient among the Native Americans, who created the first version of what is today known as cornbread.
This original version was common food among the frontier explores, and soon became a staple meal favored among the nation. Originally, cornbread was white in color, and since it was made with stone-milled corn, which produced coarser flour, it created a more substantial meal.
The change occurred with the introduction of industrial mills, which finely ground the corn and caused the loss of natural sweetness. When the colonists introduced wheat, eggs, and milk products, the well-known firm and rustic cornbread was transformed into a softer and more subtle version. Read more
However, the southern part of the United States kept the tradition of preparing the rustic variety, while the northern adopted the leavened, softer, and sweeter version. Nowadays cornbread is usually made from store-bought packs, and it is traditionally prepared in cast iron skillets, but pans and even muffin tins are also common.
In American culture, cornbread is not regarded as the plain bread replacement, but more as a substantial side dish. It is often used as an accompaniment to chilis and other types of bean and lentil stews. Sometimes it is merely covered in honey or molasses and eaten as a dessert, or torn and drenched in a warm glass of milk.
