About Crackling Bread
Crackling Bread is a Southern Cuisine which mainly consists cracklings and a type of bread, usually containing cornmeal. Cracklings are extremely similar to pork rinds and chicharrones, and dish made of fried pork rinds. Another name for Cracklings is gratons or grattons, dubbed by the Cajuns. During times of slavery, servants would be given pork skin, which they would then deep-fry and incorporate into cornbread batter. Since those times, this rich food has become international. Many countries, including Italy, has had an interesting history corresponding with cornbread as well. Substitutes for the pork skin include raisins and candied peel.
History
As mentioned previously, servants in times of slavery would make due with what was at hand, such as pork skin or lard for flavoring food. Slaves were given mainly leftover scrapes and undesired meat from their masters' table. By obtaining weekly cornmeal rations from their masters, and lard from a slaughtered pig, slaves were able to create a hearty dessert.
To Kill A Mockingbird Reference
In the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, Crackling Bread is referred to when Calpurnia, an African American servant of the Finch family, bakes Crackling Bread for Scout Finch as an apology. "'Shut your eyes and open your mouth and I'll give you a surprise,' she said. It was not often that she make crackling bread, she said she never had time, but with both of us at school today has been an easy one for her. She knew I loved crackling bread." This goes to show to cuisine in the Southern United States is quite unique.
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