Bread baked in cast iron dutch oven (pan de campo bread); photo by Steve Ryan on Flickr (use allowed with attribution / share alike).
Official State Bread of Texas
Texas designated pan de campo (also called cowboy bread) as the official state bread in 2005. All State Foods & Beverages
Texas recognizes other symbols of cowboy history including the chuck wagon (state vehicle), the dutch oven (state cooking implement) and the cowboy boot (state footwear). Other official Texas food symbols include a state health nut, state snack, state vegetable, and even the state plant has edible parts in southwest cooking (prickly pear cactus).
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.
