South Pittsburg's Cornbread Festival
Chances are you've never heard of South Pittsburg. It's a small town with a population of less than 3,200 on the southern border of Tennessee, just west of Chattanooga. However, for one weekend each year, the town swells to nearly seven times its usual population as food lovers from all over the country flock to the National Cornbread Festival.
The festival is sponsored by the company that makes the products that much of the country's cornbread is cooked in: Lodge Cast Iron. Lodge has been located in South Pittsburgh since it began as The Blacklock Foundry in 1896, and most of the company's cast iron is still made there, making it the only manufacturer of cast iron still located in the United States. During the festival, Lodge offers free tours of its foundry, an opportunity unavailable to the public the rest of the year.
Traditional American Food
No one knows exactly when cornbread was invented. Corn has been an abundant crop in North America for hundreds of years, and Native Americans shared corn-based recipes, including cornbread variants, with European settlers during the 17th century. When it became evident that the more delicate European grains couldn't survive in America, cornbread became a staple while wheat-based breads were relegated to special occasions only.
When you picture cornbread, you probably envision the modern-day yellow variety, but up until the Great Depression, regional differences in corn resulted in blue cornbread in the southwest and white in the south. While industrial processing has made yellow cornmeal ubiquitous, for those who wish to try more traditional cornbread recipes, there are companies resurrecting and protecting those heirloom grains. South Carolina's Anson Mills produces the white southern corn that fans claim produces a richer flavor than other modern options. In the West, Texas' Arrowhead Mills offers a blue corn meal with its own adamant devotees, who claim it tastes like a fresh ear of sweet corn.
The Cast Iron Crown
The main attraction of the National Cornbread Festival is the Lodge National Cornbread Cook-Off. This past winter, hopeful cooks from all over the country submitted their best cornbread recipes, and Chef Shannon Johnson got started testing each and every one. These recipes are to be for a main dish, and must include at least one cup of Martha White cornmeal and be cooked in a Lodge skillet or Dutch oven. Only five finalists are chosen, with this year's finalists traveling from Colorado, Maryland, Florida, and Texas to compete in a cook-off. The winner receives a $5,000 prize, a professional gas range, and the coveted cast iron skillet crown.
In addition to the Lodge National Cook-Off, the festival is also host to two other cornbread cook-offs: the Martha White Past Judges Cook-Off is open to, as the name suggests, bloggers and past judges of the national cook-off, and for younger cooks, the 4-H Cornbread Cook-Off offers a chance for 9-year-olds to compete.
If you're more interested in eating cornbread than cooking it, you're in luck. Cornbread Alley features cornbread from nine local nonprofit organizations, with options including savory and sweet recipes. You can taste all nine options for just $4, with all proceeds going to the organizations serving the cornbread.