Editing Cornbread (section)

== Debate ==
In the 18th century, the addition of other ingredients, such as [[buttermilk]], eggs, [[Sodium bicarbonate|baking soda]], baking powder, and pork products (rendered bacon and ham hog fat), greatly changed the texture and flavor of earlier iterations of cornbread, making it much more similar to the version that is eaten today.<ref name=":2" /> Although those ingredients were introduced in the 19th century to improve the texture and taste of cornbread, there are two other common ingredients that were excluded from most recipes until the 20th century: sugar and wheat flour.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Moss |first=Robert |date=June 5, 2019 |title=The Real Reason Sugar Has No Place in Cornbread |url=https://www.seriouseats.com/why-southern-cornbread-shouldnt-have-sugar |website=Serious Eats}}</ref> As traditional stone mills were replaced with more-efficient steel roller mills in the 20th century, the quality of cornmeal was degraded. The heat from the steel rollers detracted from the corn kernel's natural sweetness and flavor and reduced the particle size of the cornmeal produced.<ref name=":4" /> As a result, newer cornbread recipes adapted, adding sugar and wheat flour to compensate for the reduced sweetness and structural integrity of the cornmeal. In addition, the introduction of steel roller mills ushered in a new look to cornmeal; the new cornmeal tended to be yellow, whereas the old-fashioned stone-ground cornmeal in the coastal South had been traditionally white. Following the proliferation of the more finely-ground yellow cornmeal, debates arose surrounding sweet vs. savory cornbread and white vs. yellow cornmeal—debates which still occur among cornbread eaters and cookers today. The importance of these differences for some cooks and eaters cannot be overstated; in 1950, for example, Francine J. Parr of Houma, Louisiana, posted a desperate headline in the ''Times-Picayune'', "Who's Got Coarse Grits?," further explaining, "The only grits we can get is very fine and no better than mush. In short, I'm advertising for some grocer or other individual selling coarse grits to drop me a line."<ref name=":4" /> Like Parr, some Southerners still prefer the traditional white cornmeal.