Nashville is known for hot chicken, do you know why?

Hot chicken is a famous dish that originated in Nashville, Tennessee.

The story goes like this.

The history of hot chicken can be traced back to the 1930s when a man named Thornton Prince allegedly received a serving of extra spicy fried chicken from his girlfriend, as an act of revenge after he stayed out all night. That is some punishment.

However, there are 2 sides to everything.

He took the lemons and made lemonade, well…hot a hot chicken empire.

Prince loved the chicken so much that he decided to open up his own restaurant, Prince's Hot Chicken Shack, which still operates in Nashville today and is considered one of the best places to try hot chicken.

Initially, hot chicken was a local specialty that was primarily consumed by African Americans in Nashville.

It wasn't until the 1990s that hot chicken gained wider recognition and popularity, thanks to the efforts of the late chef, Andre Prince Jeffries, who is the granddaughter of Thornton Prince.

She took over Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in the 1980s and worked to promote hot chicken beyond Nashville, even appearing on national TV shows and attracting the attention of food writers and chefs.

Today, hot chicken has become a staple dish in Nashville's culinary scene and is enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.

The dish is typically made by marinating chicken in a spicy mixture of cayenne pepper, paprika, and other spices before being fried and served with white bread and pickles.

The heat levels of hot chicken can vary from mild to extremely spicy, and many Nashville restaurants have their own unique take on the dish.

In recent years, hot chicken has gained even wider recognition, with restaurants and food trucks across the country offering their own versions of the dish.

However, Nashville remains the epicenter of hot chicken, and the city continues to celebrate this iconic local specialty.

Nashville is the capital of country music and hot chicken!