Most southern food enthusiasts couldn't imagine enjoying a traditional southern meal without a side of hushpuppies. Hushpuppies are rounds of deep-fried cornmeal batter, crisp on the outside, warm and soft on the inside with a rich, toasty corn flavor. They've been served alongside seafood pretty much since their inception, but in the beginning, they were called red horse bread.
While there are several theories about the origin of hushpuppies, including that they were created by Civil War soldiers, by fishermen to quiet their hungry dogs, or by Native Americans, the most reputable story involves Romeo "Romy" Govan. While hushpuppies in the form that we know them may have already existed, he is generally credited for popularizing the dish, which he served at his famous fish fries (or , if you prefer). The "red horse bread" name had nothing to do with the food's color or horses, but likely had everything to do with one of the types of fish he regularly served: river redhorse.
Our knowledge of how the name transitioned to hushpuppy is murky at best, but this is what most people call the southern treat today, even though several other names existed for it in different parts of the South, including "red devils" and "three finger bread" in Georgia and "wampus" in Florida. How red horse bread came about Born into slavery in 1840, Romeo Govan eventually made his living (and built his legacy) by hosting fish fries near his home along the Edisto River in South Carolina. After Emancipat.
