Hey, it’s no worse than scrapple.
Went grocery shopping this morning at my local Harris Teeter grocery store. This store is huge, and carries many things you wouldn’t commonly find in a smaller store, like buffalo meat and flaxseed oil. I wasn’t shopping for those, mind you, as I’m not in the market for naked oiled buffalo meat wrestling.
Because they’re so big, they have a hot food bar, with Chinese and Italian food in the afternoon and breakfast in the morning. So today, going past the breakfast bar, what do I see?
Livermush!
For those who aren’t blessed to live in North Carolina, livermush is pork, pork liver, pork “head parts,” cornmeal, and I’m pretty sure other things I don’t want to know about, although I don’t know what could be worse than “head parts.” It’s a traditional Southern dish, particularly common in NC. Heck, we’ve even got a livermush festival in these parts.
Holy cow, I haven’t had that since I was a child! They used to serve it at my day care, along with “Russian tea.” Actually, the “Russian tea” was iced tea mixed with Tang, and it was utterly revolting to me. But the livermush, I’d eat.
Incidentally, in looking for info to tell you poor unfortunate Yankees what this was, I found this alarming line on the Neese’s website: “Neese’s has special prices on their Institutional packs of sausage and liver pudding.” I don’t know about you, but I’m leery of institutional packs of liver pudding.
I hadn’t thought about it in years, but seeing it on the breakfast bar, I could instantly taste it again. I was transported back to Kiddie Korner, and HAD to get some breakfast.
I loaded up, with scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes (I told you this was a hoity toity grocery store), and the piece de resistance, a slice of livermush. What they were offering (pictured on the plate above) is a little bit browner than the traditional brown/gray speckled mixture, and a little smaller, but what do you expect from a breakfast bar in a grocery store?
Rushed home and just had a bite. It’s got the same texture – soft and mushy, but with some granulation from the cornmeal and occasional bits of hard stuff, which I’ll guess is bone. The taste is a little bit blander than I remember – it could use more sage and pepper, and maybe even some red pepper. After swallowing, though, an aftertaste lingers in the mouth, and the proper feel comes back. Ahhh, I’m eight years old again, and they’re wheeling the cheap metal lunch cart into the room. We all line up for livermush and grits, served on doubled paper plates.
I wouldn’t eat this every day, but it was an interesting trip down memory lane. And if you ever want to make your own, you could try this recipe. It doesn’t even use head parts.
Bon apetit!
Wow. I am REALLY glad I grew up in GA instead of NC and have been blissfully oblivious to this livermush concoction. Ugh.
I do, however, wish that the Harris Teeter here hadn’t closed. It was pretty ordinary in size, but they gave a 5% discount to students!
Wow. I am REALLY glad I grew up in GA instead of NC and have been blissfully oblivious to this livermush concoction. Ugh.
I do, however, wish that the Harris Teeter here hadn’t closed. It was pretty ordinary in size, but they gave a 5% discount to students!
Okay, eww.
Okay, eww.
I loved Harris Teeter when I lived in Atlanta. Closest thing I’ve ever found to Wegman’s, which is the ultimate in grocery stores.
I hate, loathe and despise scrapple (my husband loves it) so I am glad to be a yankee who was never exposed to livermush, either.
Chocolate chip pancakes, though, now THAT makes me hungry!
I loved Harris Teeter when I lived in Atlanta. Closest thing I’ve ever found to Wegman’s, which is the ultimate in grocery stores.
I hate, loathe and despise scrapple (my husband loves it) so I am glad to be a yankee who was never exposed to livermush, either.
Chocolate chip pancakes, though, now THAT makes me hungry!
I am a mostly-vegetarian due in no small part to texture issues, but I bet I’d love this stuff. I am, of course, a scrapple aficionado like nobody’s business. Born in Delaware and all.
I am a mostly-vegetarian due in no small part to texture issues, but I bet I’d love this stuff. I am, of course, a scrapple aficionado like nobody’s business. Born in Delaware and all.
::shudders:: And they always said the crazy cajuns down in Louisiana where I grew up would eat anything. But wow .. I never experienced anything like that. All of a sudden, even Spam doesn’t sound as bad anymore. ::laughing::
::shudders:: And they always said the crazy cajuns down in Louisiana where I grew up would eat anything. But wow .. I never experienced anything like that. All of a sudden, even Spam doesn’t sound as bad anymore. ::laughing::
ROFL, you just voiced my EXACT thought. Thank God that Atlanta (or even Kennesaw way back when it was little and a lot more backwoods) didn’t share this “treat” around. Though my mother’s family is all from Charlotte, Kings Mountain and Gastonia, so I’m surprised that I’ve never heard of it.
And I thought my mom was strange for salting her milk…
ROFL, you just voiced my EXACT thought. Thank God that Atlanta (or even Kennesaw way back when it was little and a lot more backwoods) didn’t share this “treat” around. Though my mother’s family is all from Charlotte, Kings Mountain and Gastonia, so I’m surprised that I’ve never heard of it.
And I thought my mom was strange for salting her milk…
Your mom is strange for salting her milk.
Your mom is strange for salting her milk.
omg, rofl
In her defense, she doesn’t do it much now. 😀 It was a throwback to when she used to put her cornbread in her milk. She got to the point that she didn’t know how to drink just milk.
omg, rofl
In her defense, she doesn’t do it much now. 😀 It was a throwback to when she used to put her cornbread in her milk. She got to the point that she didn’t know how to drink just milk.
Hi, Heather.. I grew up on the Eastern Shore of MD and I personally love scrapple… we had a brand that was sooooo yummy, you just don’t think about the ingredients! I have a request… I would like to make a Jayne cell phone hat, like here and I would like to know if you’d sell me 5 or so yards of “Jayne hat wool”? I’ve bought a kit from you before and talk you up every chance I get…. Whaddaya say!?
Hi, Heather.. I grew up on the Eastern Shore of MD and I personally love scrapple… we had a brand that was sooooo yummy, you just don’t think about the ingredients! I have a request… I would like to make a Jayne cell phone hat, like here and I would like to know if you’d sell me 5 or so yards of “Jayne hat wool”? I’ve bought a kit from you before and talk you up every chance I get…. Whaddaya say!?
Yeah, sure, no problem! Tell you what, I’ve got some odds and ends, scraps that I usually reserve for making pompoms, but I’d be glad to send you a few bits no charge. About a buck for shipping sound fair, though?
Hopefully the Lamb’s Pride bulky won’t be too bulky for your purposes.
I have good friends on the Eastern Shore and go visit them every so often. Pretty country up there!
Yeah, sure, no problem! Tell you what, I’ve got some odds and ends, scraps that I usually reserve for making pompoms, but I’d be glad to send you a few bits no charge. About a buck for shipping sound fair, though?
Hopefully the Lamb’s Pride bulky won’t be too bulky for your purposes.
I have good friends on the Eastern Shore and go visit them every so often. Pretty country up there!
Fabulous! Send me a request through paypal to jennifervarady@hotmail.com
Fabulous! Send me a request through paypal to jennifervarady@hotmail.com
Ewwwwy
Having been forced to eat Scrapple on a road trip when I was 15 and likening it to Little Caesar’s Dog Food (visually, people, visually)I can’t fathom something that seems even more.. disgusting. The name doesn’t help either.
People think I’m weird because I eat my mashed potatoes with corn (and applesauce when available) on top of it. Or, because I put cheetoes (puffed, never crunchy) on my PB&J (wheat ONLY) sandwiches.
Ewwwwy
Having been forced to eat Scrapple on a road trip when I was 15 and likening it to Little Caesar’s Dog Food (visually, people, visually)I can’t fathom something that seems even more.. disgusting. The name doesn’t help either.
People think I’m weird because I eat my mashed potatoes with corn (and applesauce when available) on top of it. Or, because I put cheetoes (puffed, never crunchy) on my PB&J (wheat ONLY) sandwiches.