The Old-School Southern Comfort Food That Was A Johnny Cash Favorite

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Johnny Cash was known for his distinctive country vocals and iconic songs like "Ring of Fire" and "I Walk the Line." The singer's Arkansas roots deeply influenced both his music and his food tastes. There were a number of old-school Southern meals Johnny Cash loved. One of his all-time favorites was cornbread.

In "The Cash and Carter Family Cookbook," a collection of family recipes written by Cash's son, John Carter Cash, cornbread is hailed as a staple in the Cash household. While you may be used to cornbread without add-ins, the recipe for Cash Family Cornbread features savory flavors. Besides the classic ingredients found in a simple cornbread recipe (butter, dairy, and eggs), Cash Family Cornbread adds yellow onions, jalapeño peppers, and sharp cheddar cheese. The cornbread mixture is baked in a cast-iron skillet. 

According to Carter Cash, "Dad loved Southern cornbread, and one of his very favorite meals was cornbread crumbled up in a tall glass of buttermilk — to be eaten with a spoon." Cornbread in buttermilk might not be to everyone's tastes, especially those of us who grew up using buttermilk for baking and not for drinking. However, this delicious family recipe pairs well with other Cash favorites like pinto beans, which Cash grew up eating in Arkansas when Great Depression recipes were the norm.

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Cash is a quintessential American country singer, and it turns out that his favorite food is deeply rooted in America's history. Long before the colonists came to North American shores, Native Americans grew and harvested corn. Because it was such a staple crop, cornmeal became an important part of diets, leading to early cornbread recipes that featured only cornmeal, salt, and water. Eventually, European settlers arrived, and native peoples introduced them to corn. While Native American cuisine has relied on corn and cornmeal for centuries, post-colonization, cornbread became especially popular in the South.

Enslaved people also made cornbread, which became a symbol of resilience. Historic records have shown that those who were enslaved were given very small rations by slave owners, which included leftover foodstuffs like greens, animal parts, and cornmeal. These ingredients were used to bake cornbread-like items, often in cast-iron skillets, and added things like bacon drippings (the secret ingredient that makes cornbread so delicious). One creation, kush, was an early version of cornbread dressing that had roots in kusha, a traditional West African dish.

During the Civil War, cornmeal products also sustained soldiers, and the cornmeal-flavored invention of hush puppies quieted soldiers' dogs. Once the war ended, formerly enslaved people migrated, and derivatives like corn muffins and spoon bread became more well-known. Soon, the regional cooking style known as Southern comfort food almost always included cornbread. Now, cornbread is eaten alongside chili and is a popular Thanksgiving side dish.