Corn is the grain ground into meal for the classic soul-food side dish cornbread.
Cornbread is made primarily from cornmeal, which is produced by grinding dried maize kernels. Recipes vary widely: some use eggs, milk, or buttermilk, while others include sugar or wheat flour. In many Southern traditions, the batter is baked in a hot cast-iron skillet.
Cornbread has deep Indigenous American roots because Native peoples cultivated and processed maize long before European colonization. African American cooks incorporated cornmeal into many dishes, including cornbread, hoecakes, hushpuppies, and spoonbread.
Cornbread is not one single uniform recipe. Northern versions often contain more wheat flour and sugar, while many Southern versions emphasize cornmeal and a savory flavor. The defining grain remains corn, regardless of regional variation.