According to an Antebellum-era legend (1812-1860), hush puppies may have gotten their name when individuals attempting to escape slavery needed to keep any lingering watchdogs silent. What makes a fritter a fritter? No one is quite sure. In the case of hushpuppies, the story goes, Confederate soldiers making dinner around a campfire heard Yankee soldiers approaching, so they tossed their yapping dogs some fried cornmeal cakes and ordered them to "hush, puppies! At the Early Girl Eatery in Asheville, NC, John Stehling serves broccoli cheddar hushpuppies with creamy garlic dressing, while at the upscale Vintage Twelve in North Myrtle Beach, you can nosh on roasted corn hushpuppies with pimento cheese fondue. Separating the fact from the fiction is inherently worth it. [5], Hush Puppies claimed their rubber soles saved the life of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards when he accidentally touched his guitar against an ungrounded microphone at a 1965 concert in Sacramento, California. Serious Eats cites a1915 San Francisco Chronicle article in which a Mississippi Senator said "'pot-liquor' in his section was known as 'hush-puppy' because it kept the 'houn' dawgs' from growling." The True Origin Of Hushpuppies - Mashed Others, well, are a bit more out there. Thompson ambitiously named his company "The Hushpuppy Corporation of America." The word "hushpuppy" was actually applied to a different type of food before cornbread: gravy or pot liquor. It is a quintessential Southern delicacy, something diners south of the Mason Dixon line (and lately above) would not want to do without. They are made from a thick cornmeal batter and gently fried in hot oil until the outside becomes crunchy. Hush Puppies Shoes, Boots & Sandals | Soletrader Outlet Typical hushpuppy ingredients include cornmeal, wheat flour, eggs, salt, baking soda, milk or buttermilk, and water, and may include onion, spring onion (scallion), garlic, whole kernel corn, and peppers. Simply put, hushpuppies are spoonfuls of cornmeal batter that are deep-fried and served alongside fried fish, or other Southern delicacies. As late as 1939, the journal American Speech defined "hush-puppy" as "Ham gravy," giving as a sample usage, 'I sop my bread with hush-puppy.'". Cajuns in Southern Louisiana, the story goes, used to take a salamander that they called a "mud puppy," batter it, and deep fry it. If foods evolved in Darwinian fashion, it might be easy to guess the origins of the hushpuppy species. There will be small variations depending on the region, or a completely different story all together. But I would much rather eat a hushpuppy than wear one. A viral February 2022 Facebook post claimed hush puppies got their name because people escaping enslavement used to throw balls of fried cornmeal out to distract the hounds from tracking them. While that explanation is listed as one of many possible origins on Brittanica.com, culinary historians and writers have long disputed the claim. The 38-year old Nigerian big boy was born and raised in Lagos State, Nigeria. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. What's the food made of? Initially known as "red horse bread," these fried cornmeal balls took their name from the Red Horse fish found in South Carolina rivers. The hounds stopped barking and tracking thanks to the cornmeal which later adopted the name hush puppies': TIL Escaping slaves use to throw balls of fried cornmeal out to distract plantation hounds from tracking them. Yet even we were not quite sure where these fluffy balls of yumminess got the name hushpuppy. But this deceptively simple food is far greater than the sum of its parts. Puppy. ", Hush puppies first got national attention thanks to a bunch of tourists fishing down in Florida. Preheat oil: Preheat 2 inches of oil in a large skillet to 365 degrees. Hush Puppies won the prize for best accessory at the Council of Fashion Designers awards dinner in 1995. There is variation with who did what, where and when everything exactly took place, but one thing is certain: somebody really wanted some dogs to hush up and quick. A quintessential side to many Southern dishes, the hush puppy is easy to make and even easier to eat. ", And I'm not just talking about bloggers or listicle-compilers, from whom you might expect such slapdashery. Basically, when push comes to shove, what is better to quiet howling dogs than to give them some piping-hot, fried hush puppies? Puppy - Wikipedia I doubt it, especially considering the high esteem in which early eaters of hushpuppies seemed to hold the treat, and you'd have to be an especially generous dog owner to let the hound enjoy such a luxury. "Since eating salamanders ranked low on the social scale," one account explains. Using a fine-meshed sieve over a large bowl, sift together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cayenne. And, curiously enough, the term "hushpuppy" is also older than the fried cornmeal treat. The submission was tagged as being in violation of the subreddits first rule and not verifiable. It linked to the Brittanica.com entry quoted above, and the top comment observed: I.e., no proof or evidence this is the etymology, its likely just a story. Fry for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Likewise, native Americans cultivated maize crops and the resulting corn was either lined with alkaline salt to make hominy or ground into cornmeal. Sometime in 1870, Govan began catering a myriad of successful events, from hosting a fish fry on the riverbank to catering soirees for government officials: at all events besides his fried fish and catfish stew his red horse bread wowed the audience. Hush puppy | Southern, Cornmeal, Fried | Britannica UK 7; UK 8; UK 9; UK 10; UK 11; UK 12; Price. Although the post included no citations or claims, it approached a six-figure share count. [4], This article is about the brand of footwear. Comparable creations could be found in Georgia and Florida, but they were called by different names. Instructions. Let batter sit for 30 minutes. A different breed of bogus backstory that was apparently circulated in earnest asserts that the term "hushpuppy" comes from Cajuns in Louisiana who enjoyed battering and deep-frying a type of salamander dubbed a "mud puppy" but didn't enjoy others knowing about it. From there they spread across the South, though how and when that happened isn't detailed, and one of the many "hush, dog" stories usually gets appended to explain how the French name was lost. The phrase was often used by British soldiers who would turn the blind-eye to smuggling operations at ports. They're delicious, they're iconic, and no one seems to have a clue where they came from. 1000s of products online. Essentially hush puppies by a different name, Govans red horse bread became a sensation in South Carolina. History | Wolverine Worldwide A croquette is derived from the French word croquer, which means to crunch, since the outside was crunchy and the inside remained doughy. In Jamaica, such fried bread dumplings are known as "festivals", and are made from a flour and cornmeal dough, with added salt and sugar, which is then formed into hot-dog roll shapes and deep-fried. A similar story is found a bit further south, as a Florida cook wanted to quiet some hungry dogs begging for her frying fish. In the meantime, traditional barbeque is slow-smoked pork or brisket, and you havent lived until you have tried it at least once. The term jumped the pond to America at some point, and the denotations of cover-up persisted until the early 20th century. We have the best selection of Hush Puppies Promo Codes available. In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, sugar, flour, baking powder, salt/pepper, garlic/onion powder, and cayenne. Cornmeal batter would be fried and, when needed, tossed to the dogs as a distraction. hush puppies recipe; hush puppies origin slavery; who invented hush puppies; new orleans hush . G.A. In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, egg, salt, baking soda, and milk or buttermilk. tabletenniscliff Hickory Farms Discount Code in July 2023 . He thought it the perfect name for a casual shoe, which would "quiet your barking dogs." At least two decades before "hushpuppy" appeared in print, South Carolinians were enjoying what they called "red horse bread." It could be fashioned into high-rising, fluffy loaves or simply fried for a quick meal. What's the Story Behind Hushpuppies? - The SERG Group Made from a thick cornmeal batter, they're dropped in balls, fingers, or even long squiggly strands into a deep fryer and cooked till crisp on the outside and soft and chewy in the middle. 2. The hound stopped barking and tracking thanks to the cornmeal which later adopted the name 'hush puppies.'". An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. In the 1720s, French Ursuline nuns freshly arrived in New Orleans utilized cornmeal from the local Native Americans and fashioned hand-shaped fritters that they named croquettes de maise (that is, corn croquettes). While hosting a fish fry, Govan would drop little bits of the batter in the frying oil, which he referred to as Red Horse Bread. To this day, some old-timers in the middle region of South Carolina continue to call hushpuppies Red Horse Bread. They are sweeter than hushpuppies, which often contain onion or garlic. There are many legends about where the hushpuppy came from. Govans may well have originated the name "red horse bread," since its earliest appearances in print are almost always in descriptions of a fish fry that he cooked. dogs.". The name pertains to a species of fish, a river fish, just like catfish, bream, black bass, and shad. But hushpuppy was the term that stuck. On the other side of things, the hush puppies origin is surprisingly muddled. A 1939 article in the Capital Times of Madison, Wisconsin, for instance, attributes the creation to a Florida cook who was tired of hearing the dogs whine when they smelled frying fish. As a matter of fact, the largest separation between the recipes comes when frying cornmeal batter today, since most hush puppy recipes call for peanut oil or vegetable oil instead of using the leftover fish grease in the same frying pan. From their culture came one of the main staples of the Southern diet: corn (maize), either ground into meal or limed with an alkaline salt to make hominy, also called masa, in a Native American technology known as nixtamalization. Here, the idea is that puppy is a term of endearment for small children and that hushing them would stop them from pestering their parent for enough time for them to get dinner wrapped up, at least. "When it comes to the history of Southern food," she writes, "it is often difficult to separate fact from fiction, but with many Southern dishes the separating is not worth it, since the folklore adds a lot of charm and allure. They were attended by governors, attorney generals, bishops, political candidates, and every manner of other patrons, Northern and Southern alike. In the 1720s, French Ursuline nuns newly arrived in New Orleans adopted cornmeal from the local Native Americans and made hand-shaped patties they called croquettes de maise (that is, corn croquettes). Apparently, one state's equine is another's canine because South Carolina's "red horse bread" became Georgia's "hushpuppy." Allegedly, the breaded amphibians signaled low social status, so "eaters kept hush about [them].". I wouldn't even mind if restaurateurs started calling them "red horse bread" again, just for old time's' sake. You've probably seen hush puppies served up at a church fish fry or with a rack of barbecued ribs. He also perfected the art of cooking up notoriously boney River Redhorse, which is what famously gave red horse bread its name. Govan was born into slavery in 1845 in Orangeberg County, South Carolina and subsequently freed in 1865 following Union occupation of his county. Southern tribes, such as the Cherokee and Seminole, would grind up corn which would then be boiled. Most tales seem to have started with the name itself and then spun a yarn of how the food might have come to be called that. Pound Puppies After feasting on our hushpuppies we cannot be responsible if you end up howling for more. As Moss concludes, And so there you have it. So where did the name originate? A different version alleges that when people on fishing trips cooked their catch, they plied their excited pups with fried dough so they would pipe down. [5] Although there are many possible origins for the dish, it is found to be akin to "red-horse bread", named after the red horse fish of the South Carolina rivers. He promptly tossed the scalp into the fire and burned it. 20, 2019 Taste of Home These savory, golden treats belong right next to a crispy fried seafood dish.