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.
'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.
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)
At supper
Mae:
Pass the cornbread - I need somethin’ to sop up these beans.
- A staple Appalachian & Southern side dish (noun)
Talking with neighbors
Mae:
We had soup beans, fried okry, and cornbread for supper.
★ 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 and Etymology
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.
Usage 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.
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.
How to Cite This Page
APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, September 15). Cornbread. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/cornbread
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "Cornbread." HillbillySlang.com, 15 Sept. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/cornbread.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "Cornbread." HillbillySlang.com. September 15, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/cornbread.
Most Popular
Latest Accents
Latest Sayings
Latest Slang
Latest Southernish
About
Created by a true, actual, proper, real-life hillbilly, HillbillySlang is a growing field guide to culture, speech, memory, and meaning - rooted in Appalachia but reaching across the world. Every slang word, saying, accent and story is gathered from first-hand experience and trusted sources. The goal: preserve authentic voices and share them with writers, learners, and culture lovers everywhere - with a little humor thrown in here and there. Read more...
'Cornbread' needs a little '