The story of Nashville hot chicken

By Robbie Perdue

As my mouth burns and eyes water, and as I reach desperately for the last remains of a white bread and pickle slice, I feel compelled to recount the story of how Nashville came to be synonymous with hot chicken. This is not just another Southern comfort food; it’s a culinary rite of passage, a gastronomic feat, and an all-consuming (literally and metaphorically) passion.

Our story begins in Nashville, Tennessee – a city renowned for its strident pride in traditions as enduring as its Grand Ole Opry, a city that thrills to the sizzling sounds of music and drumsticks alike. But Nashville’s reputation wasn’t always this fiery—it took the inventive spirit of one woman and one wronged lover to bring us the glorious dish we know today as Nashville hot chicken.

Thornton Prince, a tall and handsome man, was reputed to be quite the ladies’ man in the 1930s. Constantly causing his steady girlfriend grief, one Saturday night, breaking the final straw, Prince came home after a long evening chasing skirts. To teach him a lesson, she sought revenge in a plate of chicken, smothered with the spiciest ingredients from her pantry.

Yet, fate had an interesting twist to offer – Prince did not keel over in agony. Instead, there he was the next morning, asking for more of that fire-breathing chicken. It gave him an idea – an idea that eventually blossomed into the legendary Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack. Thus, Nashville hot chicken was born.

As an institution deeply rooted in the city’s African-American culinary tradition, for decades, hot chicken remained Nashville’s closely guarded secret. Churches would hold weekend cookouts, with hot chicken as the main event, attracting locals by the dozen. But serendipitously, the ‘secret’ began attracting outsiders after the 1980s when the dish started to make headlines.

Fast forward to the present day, not only is Nashville hot chicken a local staple, but also an international phenomenon. James Beard Awards have been won, and culinary giants have bowed down to Prince’s original recipe. The once humble, punishing dish has turned into the tinsel town of comfort foods.

Characteristically, Nashville hot chicken is no ordinary fried chicken. The chicken (almost always a quarter bird) is marinated in a water-based blend of seasonings, floured, fried, and finally sauced using a paste heavily spiced with cayenne pepper. It’s served atop slices of white bread with pickle chips and is categorized by heat level, which ranges from mild to something Prince’s calls “sweltering hot”.

The success and popularity of Nashville hot chicken have also spawned the annual Music City Hot Chicken Festival. Ever since its inception fourteen years ago, this festival has become a tradition celebrated every 4th of July, where amateurs and professional cooks alike compete for the title of ‘Best Hot Chicken’.

In recent years, hot chicken has infiltrated the menus of renowned chefs and trendy restaurants across the globe, often up for interpretation; a waffle sandwich, loaded fries, hot chicken and champagne pairing, you name it. You may also find Nashville hot chicken as a spicy pizza topping, the star ingredient in an Asian noodle bowl, or in an artisanal hot dog.

However, amidst the growing popularity and iterations, the roots remain anchored at Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack. Yes, newer players have emerged (notably, Hattie B’s), and others have adapted the recipe into more sophisticated versions (Josephine’s polished plate of chicken), yet any Nashville native will tell you that for the original, undiluted experience, you go to Prince’s.

With tears streaming down their faces and sweat mopping their brows, hot chicken devotees understand that this dish is more than a mere spicy rendition of fried chicken – it’s a cultural and culinary embodiment of Nashville, teaching us that sometimes, the consequences of infidelities are, unexpectedly, delightful delicacies.

Prince’s accidental invention churned out a potent symbol that was quickly embraced by the community. What emerged was not a secret weapon for revenge but a harmonious music of flavors; each note stronger than the other, yet beautifully balanced to create a symphony of spicy comfort.

As the heat-induced tears clear from my vision, I am reminded of William Faulkner’s musing – “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” Thornton Prince, in losing sight of his Saturday night diversions, opened a new horizon for us all, an all-consuming fiery blaze that we now know as Nashville hot chicken.

So here’s to 111 years of sweat, tears, and gloriously fiery satisfaction. Here’s to Nashville’s hot chicken – an iconic dish, steeped in lore and soaked in hot sauce. From a late-night heartburn to a heartwarming symbol of Nashville’s spirit – now, that’s a transformation worth celebrating.