Hushpuppy

Hushpuppies

Hushpuppies (Hush puppies) are an American food made from small pieces of cornmeal bread that are deep fried or baked in a sphere shape, an oblong shape, or occasionally a ring.

Preparation

The ingredients include cornmeal, flour, eggs, salt, baking soda, milk, and water, and can include whole kernel corn, onion, spring onion (scallion), and peppers. Sometimes pancake batter is used. The batter is mixed well, adjusting ingredients until thick. The batter is dropped into hot oil. It is fried until crispy golden brown, and cooled. They are eaten with seafood, or other barbecue foods. They are made at home or served in restaurants advertising home-style food as opposed to fine dining establishments. They are a hearty, heavy food that can be eaten while active or mobile.

Origin of name

Hushpuppies are a Southern food, although they are available in many areas of America on the menus of deep fried fish restaurants. The name “hushpuppies” is often attributed to hunters, fishermen or other cooks who would quickly fry corn meal and feed it to their dogs to “hush the puppies” during cook-outs or fish-frys.

Other hush puppy legends date to the Civil War. Southern soldiers would sit beside a campfire, preparing meals. When Union soldiers came near, they would toss their barking dogs fried cakes with the command "Hush, puppies". An explanation for the name in Charleston, South Carolina is that slaves returning into the homes of their masters carrying food recently prepared in the outdoor kitchens would throw the batter balls to the barking dogs, telling the "puppies" to "hush." During the underground railroads, escaping slaves would feed these to the dogs tracking them while coaxing them with hopeful commands such as "hush, puppies."^[1]

In Jamaica they are known as "Festivals", and are prepared with cornmeal, salt, and sugar then fried in the form of a hot dog roll. They are served with jerked meats such as pork or chicken.^[2]

See also

Food portal

• Cuisine of the Southern United States
• Fried dough foods
• Saltfish fritters, a similar Jamaican dish
• Fish fry
• Vada, a similar South Indian dish
• Corn fritters
• Falafal

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hushpuppies

• History and Recipe for Hushpuppies
• More About Hushpuppies