Supawn

Supawn was a Native American porridge made of cornmeal and water and introduced to European colonists very early. Transliterated by different Europeans in an age when spelling was inconsistent, the name of the dish appeared variably in print as “suppawn,” “sepawn,” “sipawn,” “sepan,” “supon,” “sepon,” “suppaen,” “supporne,” and “soupaan.” Settlers adopted supawn almost universally as a staple, because corn agriculture and milling were particularly reliable, and culinary preparation was simple. Among newcomers and those on the frontier, supawn often represented survival.