Frybread (also spelled fry bread, also known as bannock) is a Native American food, found throughout the United States. (It is also known as "squaw bread" in some areas.) Frybread is a flat dough fried or deep-fried in oil, shortening, or lard. The dough is generally leavened by yeast or baking powder. Frybread was created in the 1800s, when Native Americans were forced onto reservations and given rations of flour and lard by the government. Native Americans did what they could, and fried bread in lard.Topped with additions such as beans, ground beef, or shredded cheese, frybread is served as Indian tacos or Navajo tacos. If sweetened, or served with sweet toppings such as honey or powdered sugar, frybread is very similar to an elephant ear or to the confection simply known as fried dough.Frybread has a significant (if perhaps stereotyped) role in Native American culture. It is often served both at home and at gatherings like pow-wows and state fairs. Frybread was named the official "state bread" of South Dakota in 2005 . Also in 2005, frybread became the center of a controversy involving its role in obesity and diabetes among Native Americans. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that a plate of fried bread consists of 700 calories and 27 grams of fat.Frybread is also known in South American cooking as cachanga References^ NetState.com. Official State Foods. 2006. February 18, 2007.^ Harjo, Susan Shown. Indian Country Today. "Harjo: My New Year's resolution: No more fat 'Indian' food." 2005. February 18, 2007. ^ http://yanuq.com/english/glosariodesc.asp?idglosario=646&codigo1=3 See alsoBannockFried dough foodsNative American cuisineFried doughFried breadSopaipilla