cornbread

In Appalachian and Southern cooking, "cornbread" is bread made from cornmeal, usually skillet-baked and served with everyday meals. Traditionally savory and crumbly, it’s a staple with beans, greens, or fried foods. Outside the South, cornbread is often sweeter and eaten on special occasions like Thanksgiving.

#Appalachia #Food #Southern

Hillbilly Dude Says...

'Cornbread' needs a little 'soup beans to soften it up. It was always savory growin' up, but some folks'll make it a little sweeter these days.

Pronunciation

[CORN-bred]

Meaning & Usage

- A bread made from cornmeal (noun)

Mae:

Pass the cornbread - I need somethin’ to sop up these beans.

- A staple Appalachian & Southern side dish (noun)

Mae:

We had soup beans, fried okry, and cornbread for supper.

other spellings: pone bread, johnnycake, hoe cake, ash cake, skillet bread, hot water cornbread, and sweet cornbread

★ Southern cornbread is usually savory and cooked in a cast-iron skillet, often with lard or bacon grease. Northern-style cornbread tends to be sweeter and cake-like. ★

Origin

Cornbread came from Native American foodways, where cornmeal breads were staples. European settlers in Appalachia and the South adopted and adapted it, making it central to farm and mountain cooking.

Notes

In Appalachia and the South, cornbread was everyday bread - eaten with nearly every supper. Outside the region, it’s more of a holiday or special dish, often sweetened. Variations like pone bread, hoecakes, and hot-water cornbread all reflect local traditions.

Say It Like a Southerner

Said plain: "corn-bred."

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Common Questions

Is cornbread sweet?

In the South and Appalachia, it’s usually savory. In the North and Midwest, it’s often sweetened.

What’s the difference between cornbread and hoecake?

Hoecakes are cornmeal cakes fried on a griddle or pan, while cornbread is baked.

What do you eat with cornbread?

Soup beans, greens, fried okry, or anything that makes pot liquor you can sop up.