Whereas many states have a plethora of meals acknowledged as “state meals,” it appears one southern state is trying so as to add cornbread to its rising palette… sure, that’s proper— cornbread.
A brand new invoice has been launched on the Georgia State Capitol to make cornbread the state’s official bread. The invoice was launched on Jan. 13, 2025, and if it will get via the state Senate, we’d must crown Georgia the brand new king of the soul meals staple.
Home Invoice 14 is a bipartisan invoice supported by three GA republicans— Rep. Kasey Carpenter, Rep. Tim Fleming, and Rep. Steve Tarvin— and one GA democrat, Rep. Omari Crawford. If handed, cornbread would be a part of the peach and grits because the state’s official meals.
In line with the invoice’s textual content, “the colourful historical past and traditions of the State of Georgia are inextricably related to the meals traditions of corn.” Historical past tells us corn has been a staple crop in Georgia since earlier than European settlers arrived. Native tribes grew corn and shortly, enslaved Africans started reinventing typical methods to make use of and devour the crop. This led to the invention of soul meals and finally, cornbread.
The Ga. invoice additionally notes how “corn is grown, floor, and made into cornmeal at historic mills like Prater’s Mill, Berry Faculty Mill, and Ogeechee River Mill and fashionable mills like Southeastern Mills and Logan Turnpike Mill—” all positioned within the Peach state. In line with lawmakers, it’s time cornbread takes “a spot of honor” with state-wide recognition, and it’s not the one soul meals on the Capitol’s radar both.
Apparently, one other invoice, Home Invoice 65 led by democrats, proposes the state make collard greens the official state greens and potlikka because the state dipping sauce for the official bread. What a method to kick off Black Historical past Month!