Livermush facts for kids
Livermush is a special food from the Southern United States. It's made from pig liver, parts of pig heads, cornmeal, and different spices. You'll find it most often in Western North Carolina, where people usually eat it for breakfast or lunch. Some people think livermush is similar to another food called scrapple. In North Carolina, a rule says that livermush must have at least 30% pig liver. There are even festivals in North Carolina just for livermush!
Even though it's sometimes confused with liver pudding, livermush usually has more cornmeal and a rougher texture. It's also made with a different recipe than liver pudding.
What is Livermush?
Livermush is made from pig liver, parts of a pig's head (like snouts and ears), cornmeal, and seasonings. It's often spiced with pepper and sage. First, the meat ingredients are cooked and then ground up. After that, the cornmeal and spices are added. The mixture is then shaped into blocks and kept cold in the refrigerator. Livermush usually has a low amount of fat and a lot of protein.
This food is very popular in the western part of North Carolina, and also in central North Carolina. You can find it in other parts of the state too, and sometimes in other states like Georgia, Virginia, and Florida. Two companies in Shelby, North Carolina, Jenkins Foods and Mack’s Liver Mush and Meat Co., make a lot of livermush and send it to many states.
To cook livermush, you cut a slice from a block and fry it. For breakfast, it's often served with grits and eggs. For lunch, you can make it into a sandwich with mayonnaise, grape jelly, or mustard. You can eat it fried or even cold. As livermush has become more popular, it's even started appearing in dishes like omelettes and pizzas!
History of Livermush
Many people believe that livermush came from scrapple. It probably started with German settlers who traveled south through the Appalachian Mountains in the 1700s. Today, the law in North Carolina says that real livermush must have at least 30% pig liver.
Livermush Events
The town of Shelby, North Carolina, holds a special event every year called the Livermush Exposition. This festival started in 1987 to celebrate this unique food. That year, local leaders in Cleveland County and Shelby officially declared that "livermush is the most delicious, most economical and most versatile of meats." Other towns in North Carolina that have livermush festivals include Drexel and Marion.
See also
In Spanish: Livermush para niños
