Recipe archive
Recipe archive
The Melting Pot
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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.
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.
Recipe from early American cookery; texture distinguishes it from traditional cornbread.
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