US pork and cornmeal dish
Livermush
is a Southern United States
pork
food product prepared using pig liver, parts of pig heads,
cornmeal
and spices. It is a
regional cuisine
that is common in
Western North Carolina
. It is typically consumed as a
breakfast
and
lunch
food. It has been suggested that
livermush
derives from
scrapple
. By law in
North Carolina
, the product must consist of at least 30% pig liver. Several festivals exist in
North Carolina
that are dedicated to the food.
Though sometimes considered the same as liver pudding, generally contains more cornmeal and is coarser in texture.
[1]
It is generally prepared using a different recipe than for liver pudding.
[2]
Overview
[
edit
]
Livermush is composed of
pig liver
, pig head parts such as snouts and
ears
,
cornmeal
and seasonings.
[1]
[2]
[3]
It is commonly spiced with
pepper
and
sage
.
[1]
The meat ingredients are all cooked and then ground, after which the cornmeal and seasoning is added.
[4]
The final mixture is formed into blocks which are then refrigerated.
[4]
It typically has a low fat content and a high protein content.
[3]
It is a regional cuisine that is commonly found in the western part of North Carolina, as well as being noticeably present in central North Carolina.
[5]
[6]
[7]
It is also consumed in other parts of the state, and is available in some areas in other states as well, such as Georgia, Virginia and areas in Florida.
[1]
Livermush is
mass-produced
in
Shelby
, North Carolina by two meat packing companies, Jenkins Foods and Mack’s Liver Mush and Meat Co., who distribute it to various states.
[1]
[8]
It is cooked by cutting a slice off of a premade loaf and frying it.
[3]
[9]
At breakfast it is served alongside
grits
and eggs.
[1]
For lunch it can be made into a sandwich with mayonnaise, grape jelly
[10]
or mustard, either fried, or left cold.
[5]
As livermush's popularity has risen, it has appeared as an ingredient in dishes such as
omelettes
and
pizzas
.
[11]
[12]
[13]
History
[
edit
]
It has been suggested that livermush derives from
scrapple
, and likely originated from
German
settlers who traveled south through the
Appalachian mountains
in the 1700s.
[3]
[5]
These German immigrants ate pon hoss, a spiced pork and buckwheat mixture that evolved into livermush.
[7]
Livermush became popular in factory towns, where workers needed affordable, premade food.
[14]
In the 1930s and 1940s, a five-pound portion of livermush cost around 10 cents.
[3]
The dish experienced a resurgence during the
Great Depression
.
[15]
[7]
Today, by law in
North Carolina
, genuine livermush must consist of at least 30% pig liver.
[3]
[9]
Events
[
edit
]
Shelby, North Carolina hosts an annual Livermush Exposition, which began in 1987 to celebrate the unique delicacy.
[3]
In that year the Cleveland County Commissioners and the Shelby City Council passed resolutions proclaiming that "livermush is the most delicious, most economical and most versatile of meats."
[2]
Other towns in North Carolina that have livermush festivals include
Drexel
and
Marion
.
[16]
See also
[
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]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
Clevenger, Kelli H. (11 January 2016).
"The Liver Mush Mystique"
.
Paste
. Retrieved
5 January
2020
.
- ^
a
b
c
Poteat, Bill (18 August 2018).
"Livermush victim of hateful prejudice"
.
The Gaston Gazette
. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
C. Davis, Timothy (22 December 2004).
"North Carolina goes hog wild over livermush"
.
The Christian Science Monitor
. Retrieved
5 January
2020
.
- ^
a
b
"Cook’s Corner: Livermush well-known in some parts of South"
. February 4, 2014.
Athens Banner-Herald
. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- ^
a
b
c
Deutsch, J. (2018).
We Eat What? A Cultural Encyclopedia of Unusual Foods in the United States
. ABC-CLIO. p. 203.
ISBN
978-1-4408-4112-5
. Retrieved
5 January
2020
.
- ^
Karon, J.; McIntosh, M. (2004).
Mitford Cookbook & Kitchen Reader
. A Mitford Novel Series. Viking. p. 56.
ISBN
978-0-670-03239-6
. Retrieved
5 January
2020
.
- ^
a
b
c
Rhew, Adam (16 September 2016).
"In North Carolina, Livermush Still Wins Hearts"
.
Eater
. Retrieved
5 January
2020
.
- ^
Orlando, Joyce (16 October 2019).
"Mush, Music and Mutts kicks off Saturday in Shelby"
.
The Shelby Star
. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- ^
a
b
Frye, J. (2014).
Moon North Carolina
. Moon Handbooks. Avalon Publishing. p. 411.
ISBN
978-1-61238-603-4
. Retrieved
5 January
2020
.
- ^
Evans, Bill (31 May 2019).
"Carolina Moment: Liver Mush, history to be celebrated"
.
WLOS
. Retrieved
4 January
2020
.
- ^
Bashor, Melissa W. (23 February 2015).
"Kings of Livermush"
.
Our State
. Retrieved
1 August
2015
.
- ^
"Our Products"
. Neese's Country Sausage
. Retrieved
1 August
2015
.
- ^
"Cook's Corner: Livermush well-known in some parts of South"
.
Athens Banner-Herald
. 3 February 2014
. Retrieved
1 August
2015
.
- ^
"Why Livermush Will Always Be a North Carolina Favorite"
.
Southern Living
. Retrieved
2024-02-10
.
- ^
Bashor, Melissa (2015-02-23).
"In Cleveland County, Livermush is King"
.
Our State
. Retrieved
2024-02-10
.
- ^
Taylor, Charles H. (13 October 1993).
"Livermush: Part of Western North Carolina's History (by Michael Goforth) (Extension of Remarks)"
.
The Library of Congress
. Archived from
the original
on 9 February 2016
. Retrieved
6 December
2010
.
External links
[
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]