

What are Hush Puppies Served With?Īcross the American South – or at any authentic Southern food joint – hush puppies are served as a side dish. The phrase was often used by British soldiers who would turn the blind-eye to smuggling operations at ports.Īdditionally, it was plastered on the covers of numerous 1920s newspapers to speak out about the corrupt bribing of the Harding’s administration’s Teapot Dome Scandal between 19, when officials accepted bribes from oil-companies. Starting as far back as the 18th century, to ‘hush puppy’ was to silence a person or to cover-up something in a covert manner. It is further worth noting that a hush puppy throughout history has meant much more than mighty good eating. It is chocked-full of nutrients and would often be seasoned with salt, pepper, and a handful of smoked meats to make a soup.Īs future Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi Homer Casteel stated at a 1915 rally: pot liquor was called “hush puppy” because it was effective in keeping the “houn’ dawgs from growling.” Pot liquor – also known by the traditional spelling, ‘potlikker’ – is the remaining liquid that is left over after boiling greens (collard, mustard, or turnip) or beans.

Instead, gravy, or pot liquor, was the first to be called hush puppy. If, that is, a doughnut-hole is served with an array of spicy dipping sauces and alongside smokey barbeques and fish fries.Ĭontrarily, hush puppies were not originally golden rounds of fried up cornmeal. In a way, they are a bit like a savory doughnut-hole. They are made from a thick cornmeal batter and gently fried in hot oil until the outside becomes crunchy.

Golden-brown, bite-sized, and doughy, a hush puppy is just one of a number of corn cakes with which the South has blessed the world. What is the Origin Behind Hush Puppies?.Below is an exploration into the origins of hush puppies, what they are, and all of the variations of fried cornmeal cakes: be ready, there is a lot to unpack here. Hush puppies – or, at least the colloquial phrase – dates back centuries. There will be small variations depending on the region, or a completely different story all together. Others, well, are a bit more out there.Īs with any good legend, those of which are relating to the origin of the hush puppy have been a part of one long-running game of telephone. Many of these origin stories have reached legendary status, with each one seeming just believable enough.
#Hush puppies dog crack
Luckily for us, there are a number of clues that have been sprinkled throughout America’s complex food history to help us crack the case. No one really knows the exact details about when a little ball of deep-fried cornmeal became such a sensation. Is it a soup base? Is it really because a dog wouldn’t shut up? Is it just slang for turning a blind-eye? On the other side of things, the hush puppies’ origin is surprisingly muddled. Maybe you know them best as ‘three finger bread’ or as ‘corn dodgers,’ but regardless of the name, the fried ball of cornmeal is a staple of Southern cuisine. A quintessential side to many Southern dishes, the hush puppy is easy to make and even easier to eat. Hush Puppies: round, savory, deep-fried goodness.
