The Food Museum. I am a cook at a school in Oxford, Kansas. Evidently the story goes back many years to the American south when cooks were busy with dinner preparations. Impatient and hungry young dogs, hanging around the kitchen and eager for their supper, barked for attention. The little fried bits were probably popped into the mouths of the cooks as well, and a new food idea was born.
Hushpuppies are dumplings made from corn flour, and are traditionally served with fried catfish.
In the backyard of our new house is a hickory tree which provides us with more nuts than we need. We don't have a clue what to do with them. These days people are hard pressed to know what to do with the bountiful nut, however. One source suggests the hickory nut- besieged should stop worrying and let the squirrels enjoy the feast. The nut supply keeps them from relentlessly scaling the bird feeder.