The Surry Sonker Trail is a confectionary trail that showcases a heritage food passed down through generations in Surry County. The trail leads visitors to seven places that serve sonker on their regular menu.
This, of course, begs the question: what exactly is sonker?
Sonker is akin to a deep-dish pie or cobbler. It comes about by blending fruit and unshaped dough that is sweetened with sugar, molasses and/or other secret ingredients. It can be accompanied by a dip (glaze) made of cream, sugar or molasses, and a few drops of vanilla extract. This is usually poured over the sonker in the dish.
There is a lot of variance in the crusts. Some recipes call for a pie-like crust, while others call for a bread-crumb topping. Some even make their sonker in a pot on the stove, with a crust that is more akin to dumplings.Sonker is also similar to snowflakes in that no two are exactly alike.
Most every family possessed their own "secret" recipe.
History of Sonker
The word “sonker” comes from the Scottish dialect and originally referred to a small, grassy knoll that could have been used as a seat.
The meaning evolved to describe a seat made from bundles of hay or straw, and eventually a saddle of straw. Many suspect the irregular dough covering the bumpy filling reminded cooks of a knoll or saddle, prompting the term “sonker.”
Sonker’s origins in the county date to the 1800s. A common belief is it was made to stretch the usage of fruit in tough times, or as a way to utilize fruit toward the end of its ripeness. It was always an exciting event for the cook of the house to bring out a pan of freshly-baked sonker.
Sonker Trail & Map
The seven stops on the trail are: Rockford General Store in the village of Rockford, Southern On Main in Elkin, Harvest Grill at Shelton Vineyards in Dobson, The Tilted Ladder in Pilot Mountain, Miss Angel’s Heavenly Pies in Mount Airy, Anchored Sweet Treats & Savory Eats in Mount Airy and Twilight Farm Shoppe at Hundley's General Store in Mount Airy. Scroll down to see profiles of each trail location.
A free brochure map is available to guide folks along the Surry Sonker Trail. It includes all the info to enjoy a day or two along the trail.
To receive a free map via mail, fill out the form below or call us at 800-948-0949 ...
Maps can also be downloaded at the official Sonker Trail trail website.
Another great trail in our area is the Surry County Wine Trail, which takes people to 18 wineries in the heart of North Carolina's Yadkin Valley wine country.
