In
the 18th Century when many thousands of Ulster's sons and daughters
came to New World to settle on the frontier, they brought with them
their folkways, music, etc., and also their foods and methods of food
preparation. Many of the cooking styles and foods became in time
quintessentially 'American.' Foremost among these would be the humble
and incredibly delicious cornbread.
The Ulster settlers brought
with them a tradition of cooking flat oat breads on a griddle,
something that had been done for several thousands years in Ulster.
Now, in the New World these Ulster settlers quickly adapted to the new
foods available to them. In the Ulster settlements oats and wheat
quickly gave way to corn and the traditional griddle cooked oatcake
gave way to one made of corn. This trait of adaptation and borrowing
from other cultures they were exposed to was one of the reasons for
success the Ulstermen had on the frontier.
Griddle cooked
cornbread quickly became the bread of the Scotch-Irish communities and
the bread followed them west as they conquered the nation. This
wonderfully simple food is still commonly found in those areas where the
Scotch-Irish settled and it is to this day a staple on the supper table
of the descendants of these Ulster folk, especially in the American
South.
The bread is simplicity itself, a little cornmeal, an egg,
some leavening, a pinch of salt, and enough buttermilk to make a
batter. This is poured onto a cast iron hot skillet with bacon grease
or oil in it. In the past the bread was cooked in a skillet next to
the fireplace or anyplace where coals were available. When Dutch ovens
came into use, the cooking of cornbread was often done in them. Later
still, when ovens became a common kitchen appliance, the cornbread
recipes were adapted for the modern oven, where it came into its present
day form.
The cooking of cornbread in the South is an art as
well as a science. Many families have special cast iron skillets, often
that have been in the family for generations, in which the cornbread,
also called a corn pone, is cooked. Many women have wooden bowls and
spoons handed down in from past generations, in which the batter is
made. It is served with butter with a meal and can also be served after
a meal with honey or sorghum syrup, as sweet.
Cornbread is a wonderful food, simple, tasty, and also part of a many thousand year cultural continuum, from Ulster.
