# Do people in the UK, Australia, Canada, and Europe eat cornbread? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 18, 2016, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158 "2016-08-18T08:26:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/41 "2016-08-19T02:57:07Z")
The rest of the world seems to have a difficult time with corn in general. I’ve seen what they do with corn in the British Isles-- It’s not pretty. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/42 "2016-08-19T02:59:19Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > requires corn meal, flour, sugar and butter Well, one out of four is right. What the hell are you doing with flour, sugar and butter in cornbread? See above post. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/43 "2016-08-19T06:06:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The rest of the world seems to have a difficult time with corn in general. I’ve seen what they do with corn in the British Isles-- It’s not pretty. what do we do with it that is so strange? It is normally eaten on the cob with butter or as a side dish vegetable. Sometimes in a salad or rice dishes. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/44 "2016-08-19T06:22:06Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The rest of the world seems to have a difficult time with corn in general. You mean the grain that’s a staple throughout Southern Africa? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/45 "2016-08-19T07:43:20Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > what do we do with it that is so strange? It is normally eaten on the cob with butter or as a side dish vegetable. Sometimes in a salad or rice dishes. It’s not Britain, but Eastern Europe and Japan seem to think that corn belongs on pizza, in big piles, of all things. …doesn’t sound terrible, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4af34b/32.png) [@Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeke_N.Destroi)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/46 "2016-08-19T08:32:21Z")
From Manitoba, Canada. I’ve sometimes seen it on a menu. Once or twice I’ve had it at a potluck but as a rule I’d say no. Granted that I’ve only been to B.C., Alberta, Manitoba (obviously) and Ontario. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/47 "2016-08-19T08:36:31Z")
> [@lynne-42](#): > > We can get something from our local bakery which is called cornbread. It’s like normal bread except more yellow and a hint of corn flavour. Is that what cornbread is in the US? Assuming the described food is actually cornbread, then there’s one upmarket hipster market/deli chain in southeast Queensland which sells it regularly. It’s really expensive ($5 for a half-size loaf) but my wife really likes it; I don’t see the attraction myself but that’s probably because I’ve got no idea what to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/48 "2016-08-19T08:38:28Z")
don’t ask writes: \> There used to be a fast food place in Sydney called Boston Market. Boston Market is a moderately big (462 locations) American fast food (well, fast causal) restaurant that tried and failed to expand to Australia: > **[Boston Market](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Market)** > > Boston Market Corporation, known as Boston Chicken until 1995, is an American fast casual restaurant chain headquartered in Golden, Colorado. It is owned by the Rohan Group. > Boston Market has its greatest presence in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, but also has a large presence in California, Florida, and Texas. As of November 2020\[update\], the chain has approximately 346 company-owned restaurant locations in 28 states, Puerto Rico, and Ramstein-Miesenbach, with 14,000 employees... ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/49 "2016-08-19T09:33:12Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > That looks very tasty. 😃 I’ll have to try Bizcocho someday at a Spanish restaurant. I love the flavor of corn. It will be easier to find it at a bakery, or in the baked goods area of a supermarket: we consider it cake, not bread (the same is true of many other things Americans consider bread, such as banana bread… that’s a banana fruitcake!). We do make _pan de maíz_, but it’s more similar to shortbread than to cornbread. Or I can give you a very common recipe. I copied this one from a web but it’s within a hair’s breadth of mine: Yoghurt bizcocho. 1 Yoghurt (lemon or natural) 3 large eggs 2 yoghurt-glasses of sugar OR 1 and a half of sugar and half of cocoa powder 3 yoghurt-glasses of corn flour 1 yoghurt-glass of oil (olive, corn or sunflower) 1 sacket of leavening While the oven preheats to 180ºC (360ºF), mix the yoghurt, eggs and sugar until you have a homogeneous, light-yellow batter. Add slowly and mix the oil, flour and leavening (for the newbies, this doesn’t mean you need to grow a second set of arms: add a bit, mix, add a bit, mix…). Depending on the pan you’ll use, you may need to put a little bit of butter and flour on the sides to keep the cake from sticking. I don’t, but many books say to… then again, I normally don’t bother taking it out of the pan either, I just don’t use anything sharp to cut and plate it. Pour the batter into the pan and, if the oven is already at the right temperature, stick it in for 35 min. Do not open the oven until it is done, if you open it while the cake is rising it will slump. When it has finished rising, test the center with a toothpick: it should come out clean (crumbs are ok, mushy bits mean it needs more cooking). ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/50 "2016-08-19T13:30:30Z")
Most Americans do consider banana bread to be a form of cake (or at least, as a dessert-ish item), despite the name. We would never, however, call it “fruitcake”, because that word has a specific meaning to Americans: Fruitcake is made with so-called “candied fruit” (preserved in some foul manner that leaves it tasting like kerosene), is nearly indestructible, and is for some reason a common Christmas gag gift. And again, while there is some American cornbread that’s cakelike in its sweetness, the really good stuff isn’t any sweeter than the corn it’s made from. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/51 "2016-08-19T18:13:27Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Boston Market is a moderately big (462 locations) American fast food (well, fast causal) restaurant that tried and failed to expand to Australia. Yes. There are several near me (in NY). And their cornbread is probably the closest thing to real cornbread that Australia has ever seen, it’s doesn’t quite hit the target. Way too sweet, and the texture is all wrong. It’s pretty good as a dessert cake, but it isn’t cornbread. ---
**Author:** ![onething](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/df788c/32.png) [@onething](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/onething)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/52 "2016-08-19T18:21:56Z")
Am from Québec. Cornbread is not very popular. Corn, on the other hand… ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/53 "2016-08-19T18:33:02Z")
I know there are Johnnycakes in Maine because The Sopranos told me so. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/54 "2016-08-19T18:35:11Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > I know there are Johnnycakes in Maine because The Sopranos told me so. Heh. That was one of those diversions some series have where you kind of wonder if the writers are running out of ideas. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e47774/32.png) [@quiltguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/55 "2016-08-19T21:33:29Z")
> [@lynne-42](#): > > We can get something from our local bakery which is called cornbread. It’s like normal bread except more yellow and a hint of corn flavour. Is that what cornbread is in the US? Sounds like it might be a variation on Anadama bread. A yeasted cornmeal/wheat/sometimes rye loaf, sweetened with molasses(traditionally) Is your bread on the sweet side? It DOES make terrific toast. The upthreader who posted the recipe using white cornmeal reminded me of my first exposure to it. Years ago my husband and I visited his family and the street they lived on was having a huge flea market cum fair. We went to his aunt’s house and were fed ham and beans(which was being cooked outdoors in iron kettles over an open fire) One of the accompaniments was the densest, least sweet and tangiest cornbread I had/have ever eaten. Auntie dear could tell it was a flavor I was not particularly used to. She said, “I suppose you’d like some of that Yankee Cornbread instead?” She had made several skilletfuls of the white variety, but very wisely made one with yellow cornmeal, sweetened, which she dubbed “cake.” For the uninitiated. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/56 "2016-08-19T22:35:32Z")
What Boston Market sells is not what I grew up calling cornbread, it is more in the corn muffin category. As I’ve gained exposure to a larger world than where I grew up I found that what a vital distinction in my house was a blurry line elsewhere. This was in the Pacific Northwest and I have no idea how much the criticality of this distinction was a result of the local norms or just the Kansas farmer roots of my grandparents. ---
**Author:** ![Hrududu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Hrududu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hrududu)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2016, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/57 "2016-08-21T00:26:17Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Then they started making fun of us Yanks because of this stuff called “cornbread”, one of them said to the other: “It’s like having cake with your dinner!”. I’ve only ever had cornbread once, when I was in the US. And that’s exactly how I’d describe it. Not that it was bad, but it was a bizarre combination to have it accompanying a savoury dish. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2016, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/58 "2016-08-21T02:33:19Z")
Just to make things more confusing, I have to bring up a famous old New York Jewish bread called “corn bread.” It’s a moist, heavy, dense RYE loaf, which contains no corn except for a dusting on the bottom when it goes into the oven. You don’t see it a lot these days (okay, I’ve lived in NYC 35 years and I’ve NEVER seen it), but the _alte kackers_ remember it fondly. It has nothing to do with pan or skillet cornbread, which is Goy food. But I wanted to bring it to everyone’s attention as a potential diversion into ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2016, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/59 "2016-08-21T02:37:37Z")
> [@Hrududu](#): > > I’ve only ever had cornbread once, when I was in the US. And that’s exactly how I’d describe it. Not that it was bad, but it was a bizarre combination to have it accompanying a savoury dish. Again, see my recipe for REAL SKILLET CORNBREAD, above. NOT sweet, and an excellent accompaniment to a Southern meal of pinto beans, greens, and fried fish or chicken. The addition of sugar is a weird Yankee thing. Even NYC restaurants well-reviewed for their Southern-style cooking do it. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158/60 "2016-08-21T16:29:34Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > 2 yoghurt-glasses of sugar OR 1 and a half of sugar and half of cocoa powder > 3 yoghurt-glasses of corn flour > 1 yoghurt-glass of oil (olive, corn or sunflower) I give up. What size is meant by a “yoghurt glass”? We don’t eat yogurt out of glasses, so this come across as a nonsense measurement to Americans. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-in-the-uk-australia-canada-and-europe-eat-cornbread/763158.md?page=4)