Cornbread, an American Indian food, is now an American staple (2024)

SHEILA O'CONNORCooking| Ocala Star-Banner

Cornbread is probably one of America's oldest foods. American Indians learned early on to dry or roast corn and grind it into a meal for making bread, cakes and porridge. Cornmeal, introduced to the first settlers by the American Indians, was precious, as it helped those colonists survive the harsh first years.

Before long, the colonists were copying or creating uniquely American dishes made from cornmeal. Among them was a version of Indian bread made of cornmeal, salt and water called pone or corn pone. The name came from the Algonquin word apan, meaning "baked." The Narragansett word for cornbread, nokechick, became no-cake and then hoe-cake. Because cornbread traveled well, some began calling it journey cake, which evolved into the name Johnny cake. But whatever it was called, it was all cornbread. During the early colonial days, cornbread became a staple of American cooking that has lasted even to this day.

Modern cornbread is made much the same way it has always been, although there are more variations than one can count. Ask 10 different cooks their recipe for cornbread and you will get 10 different versions! North of the Mason-Dixon Line, sugar and flour are often added to yellow cornmeal. In the South, white cornmeal is preferred, and while some flour may be used, sugar is hardly ever added.

Nowadays, all sorts of ingredients are added to good old homey cornbread to make it sophisticated. Various cheeses, peppers and vegetables are commonly found as ingredients in modern cornbread adaptations.

Although cornbread is easy to make from scratch, even I, who tend to shun prepackaged mixes, will occasionally use a cornbread mix. There are several good ones on the market that contain no additives, just the basic ingredients. Be sure to read the ingredients list on the package.

Because of the vast differences found in cornbread recipes, it is hard to judge whether this food is nutritious or not. Obviously, breads made with lard or bacon fat will be outside the bounds of many people's diets; recipes using skimm milk and eggs whites will fit most anyone's regimen, and there are all the others in between. You will have to make an educated personal decision as to your choice's nutritional benefits, or lack thereof.

Here are some tips when making cornbread:

Cast-iron skillets, muffin tins or corn-stick molds are the preferred type of baking pans. Cast iron just seems to produce better cornbread.

For crusty cornbread, make sure there is a generous layer of shortening or oil in the baking pan.

For crispier cornbread, sprinkle a little cornmeal into the hot, greased pan before adding the batter.

In a pinch, a tablespoon of mayonnaise may be substituted for each egg in the recipe

For a change of pace, fry the cornbread batter like pancakes instead of baking it.

If you have leftover cornbread, wrap it well in aluminum foil and refrigerate it. To reheat it: Sprinkle a little water on the bread, re-wrap it loosely in the foil and bake it for 7 to 8 minutes in a preheated 400-degree oven.