If you haven’t heard of livermush, then you’re not from North Carolina. About the only place you can buy livermush is in North Carolina, unless you make it yourself. Generally it’s trucked fresh, so the distribution area typically includes North Carolina, southern South Carolina and northern Virginia.
What is Livermush?
Livermush which may be spelled with a space (liver mush), is somewhat like sausage or scrapple. It’s ground pig parts and packed in one pound blocks and wrapped in a waxed type paper. Livermush, however, includes at least 30% pig liver by law and has cornmeal for a binding. Flavor is usually added by cooking the liver along with fatty pig parts like the snout or neck bones, and seasonings like pepper and sage are generally added.
A close cousin to livermush is liver pudding. The main difference is that liver pudding is made east of the Yadkin River while livermush is west of the divide. Liver pudding does not have cornmeal for binding, so it does not have the same slightly gritty flavor and does not hold together as well for frying.
Why Livermush?
North Carolina is a big pig state. Pigs fared better in the hot and humid climate while cows didn’t do so well. Pigs just required less care. In fact, they often ran wild in the early days, foraging off the land.
When a hog was butchered, all parts were used including the liver. Fried pig liver with onions is a popular dish in the South. But, some people do not like the stronger taste of pig liver.
Cooking and grinding the liver with other parts of the pig (traditionally the head) and added seasonings softened and covered the liver flavor.
Going Mainstream with Livermush
During the Depression era, a few farmers began to package and sell livermush. It was cheap and tasty and could be served hot or cold (since livermush is pre-cooked).
When the economy picked up, mill workers often carried livermush sandwiches in metal pails or lunchbuckets to work.
The popularity of livermush has tended to follow the economy and gains fans during peak periods. With the economy on a downturn, it is likely that a new generation may turn on to livermush.
How is Livermush Served?
Livermush can be sliced cold and put on white sandwich bread along with mustard or mayonnaise. Fresh sliced tomatoes are often added when in season. This would be a typical lunchbox meal.
Most Southerners prefer livermush sliced and fried in a skillet like Spam. It’s fried until it’s golden to crispy brown. When fried, mustard tends to be the condiment of choice.
A common combination for breakfast is fried livermush, scrambled eggs, and grits. Biscuits or toast are usually included. Some people combine everything to make a breakfast sandwich.
Who Makes Livermush?
There are only a handful of companies that make and package livermush.
The most famous is Neese’s out of Guilford County which is a big name sausage company in North Carolina and known for their green delivery trucks. It has the least cornmeal and smoothest texture and would be considered the most mainstream.
Two other good livermush companies are Mack’s out of Shelby, NC and Corriher’s out of China Grove, NC. Corriher has the most cornmeal and the most texture of the locals.
Livermush Heaven
Shelby is the home of the yearly Livermush Festival which started in 1987. It’s a full day of fun and a chance to try various livermush dishes.
There’s also a restaurant in Shelby where visitors can try livermush. That’s the Shelby Café. The waitresses wear shirts that say “I got mushed at the the café.”
Livermush Fans
If you are a livermush fan or just want to learn more about this unusual Southern food, there’s a Facebook group dedicated to livermush.
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