what is a pone

Pone is a type of baked or fried bread in American cuisine, and the Cuisine of the Southern United States. It is usually made with corn, but other main ingredients like sweet potato can also be used. A "corn pone" is usually a small round loaf of cornbread, about the size of a biscuit, traditionally baked in a round cast iron skillet. The term "pone" most likely entered English from Native American language terms like apan, oppone or supawn, meaning baked, possibly related to earlier ash cakes baked in hot coals. The batter can be enriched with sweeteners like sugar or molasses to improve the flavor, and spices like cinnamon, cloves, ginger or grated orange peel, but some cooks consider the addition of sugar a deviation from "the original dish". If pone is pan-fried or griddled, it is called a "cake" such as pancake, johnny cake, hoe cake, etc. . In the Southern Midland and Southern US dialect, pone bread can also refer to a baked or fried loaf or cake.