Thursday, January 25, 2018

We’re zonkers for North Carolina’s Sonker Trail

putters patio and grill
Putters Patio and Grill, Dobson
I thought I knew everything about Southern cooking, especially those unique dishes found nowhere else. Imagine my surprise to find sonkers in Surry County of North Carolina, a dessert dating back to the 1800s that’s similar to a cobbler. 

But then, it's not. 

The story has it that sonkers originated after a harvest, with North Carolina residents mixing fruit that had lost its ripeness with sweet ingredients such as sugar or molasses, then mixing it with flour to make a sort-of pie.

No two sonkers are alike. Some feature a crunchy top, while others look akin to a pot pie. Some resemble fruit swimming in a sweet soup topped by ice cream with dough pieces mixed in while others more like a custard.

miss angel's heavenly pies
Miss Angel's Heavenly Pies
Those differences are why there is a Surry Sonker Trail throughout the county. There are seven stops on the trail, all offering different versions of the North Carolina dessert, and we tried to sample sonkers at each one. For instance, Miss Angel’s Heavenly Pies in Mount Airy creates hers with seasonal fruit in small rectangular containers, then drizzles this doughy goodness with a moonshine-kissed glaze. If you want to kick this up a notch, add her special moonshine ice cream on top.

The featured stops along the Sonker Trail are: 

 Want a Sonker Trail map? Call (800) 948-0949 or go online here.

Here are a few we sampled:
southern on main
Southern On Main, Elkin

down home restaurant
Down Home Restaurant, Mount Airy
old north state winery
Old North State Winery, Mount Airy
living room coffeehouse
The Living Room Coffeehouse in Pilot Mountain





Weird, Wacky and Wild South is written by travel writer and author Chere Coen who loves a strange and unique Southern place, tradition or food. She's planning on going back to Surry County and hitting up the sonkers she missed.

 

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