What's The Difference Between Liver Pudding And Livermush?

While often overlooked, dishes made with offal offer incredible appeal. Sure, internal organs may feel intimidating to handle, but learn how to prepare them and you can enjoy a uniquely delicious flavor and consistency as a result. For an especially tasty showcase of such qualities, try out liver. Cuisines around the world craft the cut from varying animals into distinct preparations, but to sample a pork-liver-based take, head to North Carolina for livermush and liver pudding. 

Behind the humble names are dishes with rich regional traditions, not to mention delicious tastes. Using a unique mix of seasonings and binders, each dish lets the liver shine in mouthwatering fashion. Due to their similar names and compositions, navigating the differences between the two can feel tricky, but the central distinction comes down to the binder (and thereby the texture): Livermush employs cooked cornmeal mush and often uses a higher ratio of liver, thereby making a coarser, more rigid dish. Meanwhile, liver pudding employs flour, resulting in a softer, more spreadable version of pâté. Furthermore, there are a few flavor nuances to keep in mind.

Liver pudding is a type of regional pâté that's enjoyed in Eastern North Carolina and South Carolina. The dish comes in several forms, running from a soft baked spread to a firmer, loaf-shaped creation. What remains consistent is the use of pork liver, complemented with spice and starch. In addition to the pork liver, the dish's meatiness can also come by way of chicken liver and ground pork. 

For the filler, rice is commonly used in South Carolina while North Carolina typically uses flour, and renditions elsewhere use cornmeal or cornbread. The dish is often made soft and spreadable, with milk and eggs used for a more custardy consistency. When it comes to seasonings, sage and chili pepper flakes are common, but you can also find a range of additional ingredients such as allspice, bay leaves, and bacon-fried onions. Liver pudding can be boiled, pan-fried, or baked, but is dependably chilled in the fridge after. Some may rewarm the pâté, but it's more common to spread it on bread when cool, making it a delectable option for an easy no-cook brunch.

Another form of pâté, livermush intertwines specifically with Western North Carolina and is enjoyed abundantly around the Charlotte area. It's believed the dish arose by way of German immigrants who settled the area during the Civil War. In parallel to Pennsylvania's scrapple, livermush evolved into a distinct creation — a testament to the state's storied food culture that also makes North Carolina barbecue unique.

The foundation consists of chopped liver combined with a small amount of scrap meat (often from the pork shoulder) that's bound with cornmeal. Like liver pudding, sage and pepper are the most prominent seasonings, although you can also find additions such as onion and garlic powder. The ingredients are boiled to completion, followed by chilling time in a mold. The aim is a smooth consistency that's dense enough to slice.

Livermush comes in a large brick that's oftentimes purchased from noted local purveyors. To serve, diners cut the pâté into large, thick chunks that are pan-fried to a crispy texture reminiscent of breakfast sausage. Traditionally, livermush is served on a toasted biscuit and comes topped with yellow mustard, although you can also find it as a sandwich filling or as a component of a breakfast plate.

Like other American regional foods, both dishes take on traditional forms passed through generations. However, with a smaller, more defined area of consumption, livermush possesses a more defined form. The dish's roots trace back to German immigrants who arrived in the U.S. in the 1700s, and slowly settled south towards the Charlotte region. Then there's the name itself: Say "livermush," and you're referencing specifically Western North Carolina. In places along the way, the food picked up other regional names such as scrapple in Pennsylvania. Additionally, livermush prominently features the namesake organ, with a greater proportion of the cut in the mix. The recipe highlights the liver's bold notes, typically only complemented with ground pork, sage, and pepper.

Meanwhile, liver pudding is enjoyed across a broader area, and can even refer to dishes nearly identical to livermush, but prepared in a different place. Liver pudding recipes may be as straightforward as livermush, but deviate into more spiced or delicately flavored pâté types, cementing its malleable nature. Liver pudding's origin are hazier, but likely also emerged from settlers coming South. Make sure to try out both regional versions to experience the delectable magic of pork liver.