Some Like it Hot

-Nashville hot chicken

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, listeners, I cannot thank you enough for stopping by.
It's time for another episode of the Nashville Minutes podcast,
a show dedicated to all things Nashville. We've got a
fun one in store for you to day. There is
one little bit of culture that is surely spread around
the world that's from Nashville. And I'm not talking about

(00:24):
country music. No, No, to day's episode will have nothing
to do with country music. What I'm talking about to
day is a Nashville original culinary delight, something only for
the truly bold and gluttons. For punishment to day's episode,

(00:45):
We're gonna talk about Nashville hot chicken. That's right. Even
k f C has got it on the menu. It
wasn't originally a Kentucky fried chicken thing. The origin story
can be debated a bit. The most famous origin story

(01:11):
of Nashville hot chicken dates back to the nineteen thirties.
Thornton Prince, a known ladies man, allegedly came home late
one night after a night of partying. In an act

(01:31):
of revenge, his wife decided to make him breakfast, specifically
fried chicken, except she doused it with an excessive amount

(01:51):
of spicy pepper, hoping to make him suffer instead of
being punished. Thornton loved the extra heat and saw business
potential in it. Prince's Hot Chicken Shack was founded in

(02:14):
the mid nineteen thirties, the original home of Hot Chicken.
Thornton and his family perfected the recipe, eventually opening their
small restaurant. Over the decades, Princes became a cornerstone of

(02:36):
Nashville's black culinary heritage. For decades, hot Chicken remained a
hidden gem in Nashville's Black communities, mainly served at local
hole in the wall spots. In the two thousands, chefs
like Sean Brock and TV personalities like Anthony Bourdain brought

(03:01):
national attention to the dish. Chains like Hattie Bees helped
commercialize and spread Hot Chicken beyond Nashville. To day, Hot
Chicken is on menus across the country and has global
adaptations from Tokyo to London. The original still family owned

(03:25):
with multiple location Prince's Hot Chicken Shack is known for
staying true to the traditional recipe and intense heat. Bolton's
Spicy chicken and fish features in extra fiery version, often
considered one of the spiciest in town. Hattie Bees is

(03:49):
famous for its approachable heat levels and franchises across the US.
Four hundred degrees is known for a unique spice blend
and different layered heat profiles. Party Fowl offers hot chicken
in various creative forms like hot chicken in bignets, hot

(04:15):
chicken tacos, wait for it, even hot chicken poutine. There
are some up and coming and unique variations to Nashville chicken.
Slow Burn small batch hot Chicken considered a local hidden gem,

(04:36):
and Pepperfire specializes in hot chicken tenders with a sweet
and spicy balance. Let's get into the secret behind that heat.
Hot chicken is not just fried chicken with hot sauce.
It's a unique marinating, ring and coating process. That's right,

(05:04):
the trifecta of heat. Traditionally, hot chicken is marinated in
a buttermilk based or spiced dry rub, sometimes for twenty
four hours. The chicken is dredged in a seasoned flour
mix and then fried in peanut oil or lard. After frying,

(05:28):
the chicken is dipped in cayenne infused oil, which gives
it that signature deep bread and intense heat. It's usually
served on white bread with pickles. The soft white bread
absorbs excess oil, while pickles add acidity to balance the heat.

(05:54):
Most hot chicken joints keep their spice mixes a secret,
but common ingredients include cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, brown sugar
in black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Nashville hot

(06:15):
chicken is available in many heat levels. Most hot chicken
spots offer tears ranging from mild to inferno level. Spice
no heat, and plain for all you that just like chicken.
Mild has a hint of spice about fifteen hundred Scullville units.

(06:41):
Medium is a solid kick of heat, usually round five
thousand or ten thousand Scoville units. Hot is spicier than
a jalapeno, ranging from twenty thousand to fifty thousand Scullville units.

(07:02):
Extra hot is borderline painful, between seventy five thousand and
one hundred thousand Scullville units, and for maximum heat, shut
the cluck up the inferno levels. Some places push over

(07:25):
two hundred and fifty thousand Scullville units using ghost peppers
or Carolina reapers. Let's dig into the science behind the heat.
Capsaicin in cayenne triggers pain receptors in the mouth, leading

(07:46):
to a fiery sensation. Endorphins released in response create a
natural spicy high. You don't want just spicy chicken. Pro
tip for you, You'll want cooling agents and as many
as you can get milk and dairy. The casin and

(08:09):
milk binds to cap sasin, helping to neutralize it. I
usually show up with my own gallon because they don't
sell milk at spicy chicken places. Bread and starches soak
up spice, but don't chemically neutralize cap sason. It just

(08:30):
makes sure that you get all of that heat. And
the pro tip behind bread is you pick up the
hot chicken with the bread, not your fingers. Water is useless.
Cap sason is oil based, so water just spreads it around,

(08:53):
making sure your entire mouth is on fire. Nashville hot
chicken has influenced regional and national food chains. Both KFC
Popeyes as well as mc donald's have introduced hot chicken options,
though many purists argue they are inauthentic. Fusion dishes include

(09:22):
hot chicken tacos, pizza, ramen, burghers, and even hot chicken
sushi have emerged some places in Japan and Korea have
adopted hot Chicken inspired flavors. It wouldn't be hot Chicken
without a party. The Music City Hot Chicken Festival on

(09:46):
July fourth and Nashville is a massive annual celebration with
food trucks, contests, and live music. Friends and family are
the best part of eating. You all can experience the
pain together. There are hot chicken eating challenges. Some restaurants

(10:08):
offer challenges where customers must finish ultra spicy hot chicken
for a prize. Hot Chicken has made it onto television,
featured in shows like Anthony Bourdaine's Parts Unknown and Guy
If He Eddies, Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, and Netflix's

(10:29):
Ugly Delicious. Celebrity fans of Nashville's Hot Chicken include Anthony Bourdaine,
Rest in Peace, Kesha, Casey Musgraves, many more. There are
health benefits of spicy food. Miss Thornton didn't know. She

(10:50):
was actually just trying to help her husband. As you see,
capsason helps burn calories, boosting metabolism. It also releases endorphins
that can create a miles sense of euphoria. Certain spices
even help prevent bacterial growth folks. Unfortunately, that's all the

(11:12):
time we've got for today's episode of The Nashville Minutes podcast,
a show dedicated to all things Nashville. I can't thank
you enough for listening in. What's your heat level?