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1776-1800 - Colonial American and Southern home cooks
Spoonbread is a moist, custard-like cornmeal dish eaten with a spoon, popular in American homes since the Revolutionary era. It exemplifies colonial and early American adaptations of cornmeal into breakfast and side dishes.
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Difficulty
Medium
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
45 minutes
Total time
1 hour
Servings
6
Region
Appalachia
Era introduced
1776-1800
Introduced by
Colonial American and Southern home cooks
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Dating back to the Revolutionary era (1776-1800), spoonbread evolved as an alternative to traditional cornbread, offering a softer, custard-like texture made from cornmeal, milk, and eggs. It was popular in early American homes for breakfast or as a side dish, particularly in the South and Appalachia. The dish demonstrates how indigenous cornmeal-based foods were integrated and adapted into colonial American cuisine for everyday meals.
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