Why Are Johnny Cakes Called That, Anyway?

Johnny cakes are found in various parts of the U.S. and the Caribbean. Although they have been around for centuries, the history behind the pan-fried cornmeal flatbread is a bit muddled. This is especially true depending on where they are made. Johnny cakes have been known by many names, including hoe cakes, journey cakes, and the simpler corn cakes. Given their somewhat ambiguous history, questions often come up concerning how this popular food got its name.

Etymologists have traced the earliest reference to johnny cakes to 1739. There are a few generally accepted possibilities of how these rounds of fried cornmeal became known as johnny cakes. One of the most common claims is that the name johnny cakes is the English settlers' phonetic mispronunciation of "journey cakes," premade cakes made from corn or grain mixed with water, which were packed in saddlebags and cooked while traveling. Some lexicographers have suggested that journey cake was a name given by enslaved people in the deep South.  

Another theory proposes that "johnny cake" could be a corruption of "jonakin," which itself comes from "jannock," a word of obscure origin used in medieval Northern England to describe unleavened bread.  Similarly, other historians theorize that johnny cakes' name comes from New England settlers mispronouncing Native American words, like the Pawtuxet Natives' "Shawnee cakes" and "janiken," another Native American word for corn cake. Concerning how the johnny cake became known as a hoe cake, this comes from the archaic term, bread hoe, the tool used to cook the cakes on. 

It should be noted that there are regional differences when encountering johnny cakes that apply to both their name and ingredients. For example, the aforementioned hoe cake is a name more commonly used in the Southern United States. In the Caribbean, where they are widely known as johnny cakes, the way they are made can vary by region. St. Lucian johnny cakes are flattened and fried with a soft, chewy center. In Jamaica, they may be more spherical, resembling a fried dumpling. 

There are even differences in how johnny cakes are made from neighborhood to neighborhood in places like Rhode Island, where johnny cakes are immensely popular. According to USA Today, some establishments in the East Bay swap milk for water and use a coarser cornmeal, whereas South County restaurants prefer to make their johnnycakes thick and fluffy.

When it comes to making them at home, it could be said that a contemporary johnny cake recipe bears some resemblance to old-fashioned pancakes; given the additions of flour and baking powderto the traditional recipe of cornmeal, salt, sugar, and milk or water. That said, it's undeniable how versatile they can be. President George Washington's favorite food was hoecakes doused in honey and butter. They also make a great substitute for bread in breakfast sandwiches. A modern johnny cake recipe can also be teamed with fruit to put a unique spin on cobbler.