History of Hushpuppies

Why is it called that?

In old English, hushpuppy was a verb and not a noun. It referred to the political silencing of someone or covering up a misstep. To squash a new development or project was to “hush puppy” it. According to NCpedia, it wasn’t used to reference fried cornbread until 1899. There are many legends and lores about how the hush puppy got its name. Most of them involve literal puppies, or in the Carolinas case, hunting hounds. Most of these stories start and end the same: a chef, a soldier or a fisherman was annoyed by the yapping of dogs while frying fish and decided to fry up the leftover batter to feed to the dogs. None of these legends are verifiable. What’s more interesting perhaps is the first hushpuppies were not called hushpuppies at all – they were called red horse bread.

The name came from Romeo Govan’s fish fry side dish and was named after the fish he was frying in South Carolina, red horse. The recipe was similar to the modern-day hushpuppy: corn meal, eggs, baking soda and salt, fried in leftover grease. Govan was a freed slave who hosted large fish fries for clubs and civic organizations along his property in the Edisto River. Newspapers raved about his simple but delicious side dish, the red horse bread.

A Southern Tradition

The Carolinas take credit for the original hushpuppy, but nearly every community has an origin story. Even New Orleans claims a group of French nuns came up with the idea to fry cornmeal when presented with the powder by Native Americans. In Florida and Georgia and even as far west as Tennessee, fish fries and hushpuppies when together like bread and butter. Florida was already calling them hushpuppies and there are reports of advertised fish fries offering fish, hushpuppies and coffee. In South Carolina, folks were calling them Red Horse Bread until the 1920s.

As they grew in popularity, magazines began printing recipes for hushpuppies. Most of them stayed true to Romeo’s recipe: corn meal, eggs, baking powder and salt. NCpedia calls the hush puppy “quintessential southern food.” While the name is English, the recipe and the cooking method reflect something profoundly American. The main ingredient and the milling process (stone ground corn meal) are Native American. The cooking method comes from West Africa and enslaved African Americans who kept the tradition of frying food in lard and whatever else was available. According to NCpedia, the hush puppy is a descendent of acara, a Nigerian fritter made of black-eyed peas. At its best, the humble hushpuppy is a tribute to our history and the way food brings us all together.

The Onslow County Connection

Swansboro’s very own Walter M Thompson, owner of the Thompson’s Fireside Restaurant, was the first to mass produce hushpuppy mix and sell it across state lines. After World War II, Mr. Thompson packaged his hushpuppy mix as a “just add water” product and sold it for 30 cents a can. Before Thompson’s mix, hush puppies had not ventured far outside the south. According to Robert Moss, several Carolina newspapers remarked on what they thought was a laughable concept- cashing in by selling cornmeal to “a bunch of Yankees.” Moss quotes the Anderson Daily Mail, that wrote: “We have just never thought of Carolina hushpuppies . . . as being commercial propositions” but lauded the “enterprising gentleman” from Swansboro who “puts a mixture of white cornmeal and other ingredients in a pasteboard tube, slaps a trucky label on it and sells it in New York to city folk.”

The venture was short-lived, however. Thompson sold the restaurant to fund his hushpuppy business in 1947. He called it The Hushpuppy Corporation of America and sold the company to New Jersey’s Marple & Company in 1948. In 1948, The Hushpuppy Corporation changed hands again and moved manufacturing to Jacksonville, NC. It lasted about another 30 years before being sold to North Carolina’s House-Autry in 1970.

Insider Tip: It’s in the Mix

Feeling inspired by the story of The Hushpuppy Corporation? There are several businesses in North Carolina still churning out take-home mix for you to enjoy anytime. Some of these include:

• Atkinson Mills (Selma, NC) – Many of our restaurants swear by Atkinson Mills “Sweet Betsy” mix for their signature hushpuppies. They also offer frozen hushpuppies if you’d rather pop them in the air fryer. This NC staple has been in the cornmeal business since 1757.
• House-Autry Mills (Four Oaks, NC) – This family-owned mill has been in business since the Civil War and continues producing at-home hush puppy mix for the masses. They purchased the Thompson’s brand mix and sold it until this date.
• Southern Breeze Seafood- (Jacksonville NC) Visit our local seafood breader expert if you’re feeling adventurous. Their rustic breader mix can be used to make an authentic hush puppy if you add a little egg and a little imagination.

If you prefer the convenience and hospitality of southern cuisine (like the rest of us) – visit any of the stops on our Hushpuppy trail. They won’t disappoint!