Hush puppies are a popular deep-fried pancake made with cornmeal, flour, egg, buttermilk, and seasonings. They are believed to have originated in the southern United States before the Civil War and are often served with fish. The name may have come from feeding them to dogs to keep them quiet. The inspiration for hush puppies likely comes from a Nigerian dish called acaraje. They should be served immediately after cooking to maintain their crunch. Corndodgers are a baked alternative to hush puppies.
Hush puppies are a deep-fried pancake, especially popular in the southern United States and made primarily with cornmeal. They have grown in popularity since they were first invented, probably sometime before the Civil War. You’ll find them now across the United States in several chain fast food restaurants, especially those that specialize in fried fish or fried chicken. Hush puppies are generally round balls of cornmeal, mixed with a little white flour, egg, buttermilk, and different seasonings, and are best eaten warm. Since they’re so portable, each just a bite or two at most, it makes sense that fast food restaurants would offer them to customers.
The hush puppies name wasn’t recorded until the early 20th century, but many believe Southerners first prepared their food during or before the American Civil War. Some argue that hunters first created these savory pancakes or that Confederate soldiers invented them while food supplies were still quite high. Either way, the name may have come from the fact that dogs accompanying soldiers or hunters would be given some pancakes while everyone else was having dinner, essentially to “shut them up” so people could eat in peace.
The inspiration for hush puppies probably comes from Nigeria and was brought to America by captured Nigerians who were then enslaved. A Nigerian dish, acaraje, is made from black peas, rolled into balls and fried. Using cornmeal instead may have been deemed an improvement in the United States. The large grain of cornmeal makes the outside very crunchy when hush puppies are fried.
This side dish, a soul food classic, is typically served with fish and may contain onions so the hush puppies have more flavor. As with all fried foods, the temperature of the oil is especially important. Most recipes recommend an oil temperature of around 350 degrees F (176.67 degrees C) and a cook time of only two minutes maximum. Best of all, when you drop the hush puppy into the oil, it should immediately rise to the top of the oil. If it sinks, the oil temperature is too low.
The quality of hush puppies will depend a lot on how they are made and also on a suitable cooking temperature. Some recipes are very salty and call for seasoned salt or MSG. Since they are fried, they must be served immediately after cooking or else they will lose their crunch and taste greasy. There’s no getting around the fact that these balls are decidedly high in fat.
If you want a slightly fatter version of hush puppies, you can try corndodgers. These are baked instead of fried and are usually oblong in shape. In other respects, the ingredients in corndodgers are very similar to hush puppy and can be enjoyed just as much.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
