Cornpone
In Southern and Appalachian speech, "cornpone" is a simple style of cornbread - plain cakes of cornmeal, water or buttermilk, and a little salt or fat, baked or fried in a skillet.
synonyms: cornbread, skillet bread
Hillbilly Dude Says...
I'd say the cornbread we ate growin' up was really closer to 'cornpone' - not sweet at all, crumbly, not super moist. Sometimes my Momma would use a cast iron pan that had shapes like roastnears. Hillbilly Dude Says...
I'd say the cornbread we ate growin' up was really closer to 'cornpone' - not sweet at all, crumbly, not super moist. Sometimes my Momma would use a cast iron pan that had shapes like roastnears. Pronunciation
[KORN-pohn] /ˈkɔrnˌpoʊn/
Meaning & Usage
- A simple style of cornbread (noun)
Etta:
Pass me another piece of that hot cornpone.
Pass me another piece of that hot cornpone.
Ray:
Better sop it in your beans while it’s still warm.
Better sop it in your beans while it’s still warm.variations: pone bread, pone, corn pone
★ Unlike sweet cornbread recipes you’ll find up North, traditional cornpone is plain and hearty - no sugar, no frills, just cornmeal and a skillet. ★
Origin and Etymology
The word pone comes from the Algonquian word apan, meaning "something baked." Cornpone as a food was a staple of early frontier cooking, especially in the South and Appalachia where wheat flour was scarce.
Usage Notes
- Cornpone was daily bread for many Southern families well into the 20th century.
- Often baked in a cast-iron skillet or shaped into small rounds.
- Sometimes fried for a crisper edge.