There’s a reason that scones never caught on in the United States

Most local restaurants serving an Irish breakfast tomorrow will be offering soda bread or toast instead of scones, although the Irish like their scones as well, and some people insist that soda bread and scones, both being quick breads, have a lot in common.

Although local coffeehouses have been offering scones for some time — ranging from crumbly, cementlike creations to soft, buttery pastries — the traditional scone never really made the transition into America’s culinary culture. Or did they? One local scone expert argues that the classic Southern biscuit is the American version of the scone.