Texas State Bread

Pan de campo Adopted: June 18, 2005

Texas State Bread: Pan de campo step 1

Pan de campo's, or cowboy bread's, march to officialdom was not without some argument. But probably not to the extent implied by this sub-heading from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Bill pitching pan de campo is fightin' words to sourdough backers^[1]

In fact, the discussion centered around a question that visits many a state symbol proposal. Is the proposed symbol a fitting representative of the entire state or does it hold only regional status?

Pan de campo was proposed as the state bread by State Represenative Ryan Guillen from Rio Grande City, a decidedly South Texas enclave on the border with Mexico. This is where the argument began.

Pro

Guillen said the bread has historical significance because it was eaten by cowboys who worked the vast ranches that defined early Texas, which would later give way to the economy we know today.

"It was the staff of life for the vaqueros," Guillen said.

(Pierson)

"Pan de campo enjoys a singular stature in Texas history and culture that is rivaled only by its undeniable appeal as a versatile and satisfying food," Guillen's resolution states, "and it is only right and proper that this essential element of the state's greatness receive official recognition."

(Chapman)

Con

Critics of the choice declared that pan de campo was a South Texas regional food, primarily a Mexican dish. They claimed that the most common bread found on the trail was sourdough bread. There were some that were rather adamant in their assertions that pan de campo would not be a good choice to represent all of Texas.

Whoa! say a host of cowboy cooks and Western historians. The flat bread was common in South Texas, but it was far from having "a singular stature."

"A cowboy moving north from South Texas finds pan de campo until he hits about 30 miles north of San Antonio, where it is replaced with biscuits or other bread," Calhoun said.

Cliff Teinert, an Albany rancher and bestselling chuck-wagon-cookbook author, said he's against pan de campo becoming the state bread. "That wouldn't be right," he said last week in Fort Worth. "Pan de campo is a regional speciality. It was popular along the border, but it shouldn't represent the whole state. The larger area used sourdough biscuits."

Red Steagall, a singer, songwriter, poet and Western historian, is steadfast in his assessment: "Sourdough bread is what went up the trail on the trail drives. Pan de campo is a Mexican dish."

Tom Perini, a prize-winning cookbook author, chuck-wagon cook and national spokesman for Pace Picante Sauce, said that the issue isn't clear-cut but that claiming pan de campo as the state bread "might be a stretch."

(Chapman)

In the end

Pan decampo became the official state bread of Texas when Governor Rick Perry signed House Concurrent Resolution No. 98 on June 18, 2005.

H.C.R. No. 98

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The colorful history of the Lone Star State is inextricably associated with the romance of cowboy culture, and among the many legacies of this proud heritage is the delicious flat bread known as pan de campo, or cowboy bread; and

WHEREAS, Relied on by early settlers and vaqueros to sustain themselves as they rode the range, pan de campo has transcended its humble origins to take a place of honor at such events as the Pan de Campo celebration that is sponsored annually by the San Diego Chamber of Commerce in Duval County; and

WHEREAS, With thousands of participants and spectators, the celebration includes such events as softball and volleyball tournaments, a parade and live Tejano music, and the pan de campo cook-off; and

WHEREAS, The chefs who make contemporary variations on pan de campo recognize that cowboy bread's appeal lies not only in its elegant simplicity but also in its role as a redolent reminder of the state's storied past and the vaqueros of South Texas; and

WHEREAS, Because the cowboys who introduced pan de campo to Texas had no access to conventional kitchens, the bread was prepared in small portable ovens, and it was this distinctive cooking method that gave pan de campo its characteristic texture and flavor; and

WHEREAS, Pan de campo enjoys a singular stature in Texas history and culture that is rivaled only by its undeniable appeal as a versatile and satisfying food, and it is only right and proper that this essential element of the state's greatness receive official recognition; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 79th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby designate pan de campo the Official State Bread of Texas.

Guillen

Texas State Bread: Pan de campo step 2

Texas Law

Pan de campo was adopted as the official state bread of the State of Texas by House Concurrent Resolution No. 98 and is, therefore, not listed in the Texas Statutes.

Only a small number of Texas' myriad symbols have been actually adopted by an act of the legislature and written into the Texas Statutes.

Sources...

"House Concurrent Resolution No. 98." The Texas Legislature Online. The State of Texas, 2911. Web. 2 Oct 2011. .
Pierson, Elizabeth. "Pan de campo proposed as official state bread." The Brownsville Herald. Freedom Communications, Inc., 20 Mar 2005. Web. 3 Oct 2011. .
Chapman, Art. "Food fight on for official bread of Texas." The Houston Chronicle. Hearst Communications, Inc., 27 Mar 2005. Web. 3 Oct 2011. .
Shearer, Benjamin F. and Barbara S. State Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols: A Historical Guide Third Edition, Revised and Expanded. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 3 Sub edition, 2001.

Texas State Bread: Pan de campo step 3

Additional Information

Exploring the Tejano Origins of the State Bread of Texas: Texas Historical Commission

Pan de Campo: The Official State Bread of Texas: Traditional Texas Food: Articles about Texas' most famous foods by John Raven, Ph.B.

Pan de campo (camp bread): "Texas Highways," the travel magazine of Texas.

Rio Grande City: Official website.

State foods: Complete list of official state foods from NETSTATE.COM.

More symbols & emblems: Complete list of official Texas state symbols from NETSTATE.COM.

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