If there’s one factor that is extra synonymous with Nashville than music, it is hot chicken.
At present, scorching hen pops up on menus throughout the town with all kinds of variations, however the dish has an extended historical past within the Black neighborhood of Nashville. It additionally exemplifies a a lot higher challenge in Southern foodways with white cooks taking credit score for and profiting off of Black ingenuity.
Many imagine the dish was created by the Prince family many years in the past when native casanova Thorton Prince acquired in bother along with his companion for coming residence too late. As a punishment, she supposedly added a bunch of scorching pepper to his fried hen — nevertheless it ended up being scrumptious.
Due to segregation within the metropolis, each formally (till the mid-Sixties) and unofficially since, scorching hen was a favourite in Nashville’s Black neighborhood for a lot of many years however was broadly unrecognized outdoors of it.
This has modified prior to now decade or so, and André Prince Jeffries, queen of scorching hen and present proprietor of the unique Prince’s Scorching Rooster Shack, has encouraged competition from different eating places — however has steered guests bear in mind the creators of the dish.
And I undoubtedly assume it is price making the journey to Prince’s to get the unique scorching hen.
This story was initially printed on November 15, 2024, and most just lately up to date on June 5, 2026.
