First of all, what are Johnny Cakes?
Johnny Cakes are a cornmeal flatbread that was created by Native Americans.
And no, they weren’t named after a guy named John.
They’ve been known by many names. They were called journey cakes because they were filling and could be carried and baked on a journey. Some historians think that they were originally called Shawnee cakes. Other historians think that “janiken”, a Native American word that meant “corn cake,” could be the origin of their name.
Native Americans made Johnny Cakes by mixing cornmeal with water and frying them. As enslaved Africans began making them in the South, they created a more substantial version, like the cornbread we know and love today.
In Virginia, they were likely made with gourdseed corn, a soft-kernelled corn with a silkier texture than our modern-day corn. Around the Civil War, grittier corn varieties became commercially successful. So when people began baking with this grittier corn, Johnny Cake recipes required baking powder or other chemical leaveners to lighten them.
When going through our collection of antique family recipes, I even found a
Johnny Cakes recipe in our copy of the 1917 Gold Medal Flour Cook Book. If you get a chance to prepare it, let me know how you like it!
Even if you aren’t going to test Johnny Cakes at home, you'll want to experience them at “Taste History”, our outdoor culinary heritage demo, on Saturday, August 24th. Tickets are on sale until Friday, August 23rd and we'd love to see you there!
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