Hot chicken. It's quickly become one of America's most popular comfort foods. There's the crispy exterior, the added spice to the batter, and even the perfect drizzle of honey with a sandwich slice of sweet pickle. No matter why you come to "Nashville hot," once you've experienced it, you'll start craving it.
Where did this style of chicken start, though? What's the history of hot chicken? It's worth knowing simply because the story is as unique as the famous fried chicken style itself.
To understand the story, you have to go back to the first Nashville, Tennessee restaurant where it was served. Prince's Hot Chicken Shack is listed as one of the James Beard Foundation's America's Classic restaurants, which should tell you a lot, because it's viewed as the birthplace of hot chicken.
According to the Prince's story, Thornton Prince III used to have a fondness for late night nights and extra women back in the 1930s. His girlfriend didn't like his antics too much, and one day when Thornton asked her to make his all-time favorite dinner -- fried chicken -- she decided to throw something else at him in addition to the crispy skin -- cayenne pepper and hot spices.
In her efforts to get back at him and teach him a lesson, though, she wound up making his favorite dish even more popular. Thornton loved the addition of heat, and hot chicken was born. He loved it so much, he decided to open up a chicken shack.
Over the decades, his hot chicken became more and more poplar. His great-niece took over operations in the 1960s, and today, the famous recipe of spices is still guarded with employees signing waivers that say they will never share the Prince's secret.
Eaton Loves Hot Chicken
Here at Eaton Marketing, we're huge fans of this classic, American style of chicken. We also have a range of equipment solutions that can help make it easier to produce and ultimately more profitable. If you'd be interested in learning more about any of these options, schedule some time with us today.
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