Baked good-lovers, rejoice! The place where many a home-baked tasty treat around the U.S. originates is in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Writer Kathy Witt serves up a helping of comfort food for Real Food Travelers from what’s known as the Batter Capital of the World. Then, give the three included recipes a try! 

Save this article about Hopkinsville, Kentucky, the Batter Capitala of the World, to Pinterest to keep it handy. Statue sculpture photo by Kathy Witt. Breads photos courtesy of Canva.com. Graphic by RealFoodTraveler.comm.

Hungry for more? Try the recipe for Dollywood’s Cinnamon Bread.

Bread, Blends and Bakes in the Batter Capital of the World, Hopkinsville, Kentucky

In western Kentucky, a community of 30,000 people annually produces 3 million bushels of wheat on 45,200 acres of farmland.

Not only that, but this small-town treasure is also the site of such globally recognizable products as Krusteaz pancake, waffle and muffin mixes, Ghirardelli brownie mixes, Cracker Barrel biscuit mixes, SunFlour corn meal, Red Lobster Cheddar Bay biscuit mix and a slew of other batter-based products.

And they’re all milled locally at these factories: the Hopkinsville Milling Company, which produces SunFlour products; Siemer Milling, which mills approximately 2 million pounds of flour each day; and the Krusteaz Company (formerly Continental Mills), which makes over 450 unique products.

Meet Hopkinsville – The Batter Capital of the World.

Helping to tell the story of Hopkinsville, KY’s unique role in the culinary world as a food-mix manufacturer are three Insta-worthy public art installations: the largest wheat stalk sculpture in Kentucky, located in the historic downtown district; a giant pancake stack on display at the Museums of Historic Hopkinsville-Christian County; and a giant Batter Bowl stationed at the Visitor Center that selfie enthusiasts can strike a pose in for the perfect snap.

Strike a pose in Hopkinsville’s giant batter bowl.

Hopkinsville restaurants serve up signature dishes using some of that homegrown flour, including the BarBQue Shack, Holiday Burgers and Vansauwa’s Food Truck. Local bakery and pastry shops, including Joelle’s Cake & Coffee, the Corner Coffeehouse and Baked Hopkinsville tempt with batter-based gourmet cakes, cookies, street waffles, chocolate croissants and other baked goodies. Independently owned shops like Stella’s Soaps offer items that pay tribute to Hopkinsville’s milling heritage, like a line of skin care products including scrubs and soaps. Even the Visitor Center Gift Shop gets in on the act, with Batter Capital of the World-related souvenirs like its bestselling branded skillet.

Hungry for more? Try these 3 recipes from the Krusteaz Company.

As the Batter Capital of the World, Hopkinsville is part of the new Kentucky Capitals Quest passport program featuring 11 different destinations and their unique claims to fame:

Bowling Green – Corvette Capital of the World
Frankfort – Historic Heartbeat of Kentucky
Hopkinsville – Batter Capital of the World
Lexington – Horse Capital of the World
London-Laurel Co. – Cycling Capital of Kentucky
Morehead-Rowan Co. – Muskie Fishing Capital of the South
Oldham Co. – Farm Tour Capital of Kentucky
Owensboro –Bluegrass Music Capital of the World
Paducah – Quilt Capital of the World
Somerset-Pulaski Co. – Houseboat Capital of the World
Winchester – Beer Cheese Capital of the World

Visitors can pick up a passport at any of the 11 visitor centers along the Kentucky Capitals Quest route and collect a sticker for each destination visited. Collect three custom stickers for an air freshener for your vehicle. Collect six stickers for a curated offer from the community you’re in for your sixth Quest stop. When you collect all 11 stickers, cozy up with a branded blanket—perfect for picnics and other outings. And enjoy bragging rights as an honorary Kentucky Capitals Quest Ambassador.

If you’re hungry for a taste of batter-based goodies but can’t make it Hopkinsville just now, Krusteaz Company has generously shared three special recipes with Real Food Traveler readers in the Recipes section of the site.

-Story and photos by Kathy Witt

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