Cornmeal is the primary grain ingredient in traditional Southern spoonbread.
Spoonbread is a soft, moist Southern dish made from cornmeal cooked with liquid, then combined with eggs and often milk or another dairy ingredient before baking. Its texture is much looser than ordinary cornbread, which is why it is served with a spoon rather than sliced into firm pieces.
The dish reflects the importance of corn in North American foodways. Native American corn-based cooking influenced many later Southern dishes, while European settlers adapted cornmeal preparations to their own baking methods. Spoonbread became especially associated with parts of the Appalachian and Upper South regions.
Spoonbread is sometimes mistaken for cornbread because both use cornmeal. The difference is texture and technique: cornbread is generally firm enough to cut, while spoonbread remains custard-like and is portioned directly from its baking dish. Recipes vary in the balance of cornmeal, eggs, and dairy.