Livermush

Did You Know?

• Shelby, North Carolina hosts an annual Livermush Exposition, which began in 1987.
• In 1987, the Cleveland County Commissioners and the Shelby City Council proclaimed livermush 'the most delicious, most economical and most versatile of meats.'

Overview

Livermush is composed of pig liver, pig head parts such as snouts and ears, cornmeal, and seasonings, commonly spiced with pepper and sage. The meat ingredients are cooked and ground, then mixed with cornmeal and seasoning, formed into blocks, and refrigerated. It typically has low fat and high protein content. The dish is regional to western North Carolina and is also present in central North Carolina, with availability in parts of Georgia, Virginia, and Florida. It is mass-produced in Shelby, North Carolina by Jenkins Foods and Mack’s Liver Mush and Meat Co. Livermush is cooked by slicing a premade loaf and frying it, served at breakfast with grits and eggs, or at lunch as a sandwich with mayonnaise, grape jelly, or mustard, either fried or cold. It has also appeared in omelettes and pizzas.

History

Livermush likely originated from German settlers who traveled south through the Appalachian Mountains in the 1700s, who ate pon hoss, a spiced pork and buckwheat mixture that evolved into livermush. It became popular in factory towns as an affordable, premade food and experienced a resurgence during the Great Depression. In North Carolina, genuine livermush must consist of at least 30% pig liver by law.