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Revolutionary Fare

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"Johny or hoe cake, hot from the fire, is better than a Yorkshire muffin," Benjamin Franklin wrote in a 1776 letter to the London Gazetteer lauding the virtues of American corn bread. There were other fine Yankee dishes as well:

* Philadelphia pepper pot: According to legend, this peppercorn-flavored tripe soup was created for George Washington at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777.

* Shad: A member of the herring family, the fish was ubiquitous in Revolutionary times. It was even included in the rations that Washington's troops received.

* Spoon bread: This custardy dish made with cornmeal is eaten with a spoon, but it may actually owe its name to the Native American word for porridge, suppawn.

* Succotash: The Colonial stew of corn and lima beans was a version of the Narraganset Indians' misickquatash.