Ever heard of Sonker?  I hadn’t until I visited the Yadkin Valley in Surry County, North Carolina.  I went there to explore Mount Airy,  Andy Griffith’s hometown and the model used for his television series The Andy Griffith Show. Throughout his life and Hollywood career Andy Griffith, and his role as Sherrif Taylor, portrayed a down home friendly feel.

Sonker fits in perfectly because it is not a fancy, beautifully presented dessert.  Sonker is similar to a cobbler or a potpie because it’s made with unshaped dough, often sweetened with sugar or sorghum cane molasses. Some recipes call for a pie-like crust; others incorporate a breadcrumb topping.  Why, you can even make sonker in a pot on the stove, with a crust akin to dumplings.  (I wonder how Aunt Bee made hers?)

Eight places in Surry County serve the dessert, now termed a heritage food, on their regular menu and each is different. The folks in those parts say sonker is similar to snowflakes – – no two alike. I had the opporunity to taste three over my visit.  I wrote the story of the Sonker Trail for Real Food Traveler.

Even more so, I hope you will consider a trip to the Yadkin Valley. The destination makes an ideal weekend getaway featuring mountains, bluegrass music, Mayberry, sonker, and excellent wine from localvineyards.