Thick Scalded Jonnycakes (1981)

i>In Yankee’s April 1981 issue, Paul Darling wrote a comprehensive piece about jonnycakes–cornmeal pancakes, traditionally made from stone-ground whitecap flint corn. They’re particular to Rhode Island, but they have a long history. Some say they’re a Native American tradition; others say they’re a settlers’ recipe. Most people agree that the name comes from “journey cake,” a small, dried biscuit that could travel well. Rhode Islanders on the east side of Narragansett Bay (“East Bay”) tend to prepare their jonnycakes thin, made with cold milk; the west side (“West Bay,” also called “South County”) favors a thicker version, made with boiling water–an East Bay/West Bay controversy that wound up as a subject of debate in the Rhode Island legislature. In this recipe and the one following, we present both sides of the story–decide for yourself.