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.
 A pound of sliced, pan-fried livermush garnished with parsley | |
| Type | Mush (cornmeal) |
|---|---|
| Region or state | Western North Carolina |
| Main ingredients | Pork parts, liver, cornmeal and spices |
Though sometimes considered the same as liver pudding, livermush generally contains more cornmeal and is coarser in texture.[1] It is generally prepared using a different recipe than for liver pudding.[2]
Overview
editLivermush 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
editIt 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
editShelby, 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
edit
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
edit- Shuford, Chuck (6 November 2007, updated November 11, 2018) "What Happened to Poor Man’s Paté". The Daily Yonder.