The Vintage Soul Food Dish That Had Aretha Franklin Coming Back For Seconds

Known as the "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin is perhaps best known for her hit songs like "Respect" and "Think," but what you might not know is that the Grammy-winning singer was also a bit of a foodie. Considering she was born in Memphis, Tennessee, it's no surprise that she was a fan of soul food — and there's one dish that she particularly enjoyed: chitterlings.

According to an October 1967 issue of Ebony magazine, chitterlings were actually Franklin's favorite food. Apparently, she enjoyed chitterlings with hot water cornbread, a version of the dish that's made by combining cornmeal and boiling water. She also liked them with greens or ham, two foods that chitterlings are often served with in the Southern United States.

In case you don't know what chitterlings are (sometimes spelled "chitlins"), they're pig intestines cooked with other ingredients like onions or bell peppers. Franklin's favorite food can emit a pungent aroma, but when cooked properly, the results are quite delicious.  

To take it back further, cooking chitterlings is thought to have originated during slavery, when enslaved people had to figure out how to make scraps edible for themselves. So perhaps one of the reasons that chitterlings are such an iconic soul food dish has to do with how they take a humble ingredient and turn it into a decadent meal — even decadent enough for a famed singer.

There are different techniques for cooking chitterlings, but here's a breakdown of the most common way. First, you'll need to boil them for three to four hours to prevent a tough or chewy result. Typically, aromatics like onions are added to the pot to add flavor and offset that aforementioned smell. You can take them out of the pot once tender and eat them, or kick them up a notch. After the chitterlings are boiled, bread them in flour, breadcrumbs, or crushed saltine crackers, then deep fry them.

If you want to enjoy chitterlings like Aretha Franklin did, pair them with our collard greens recipe that makes six servings. However, there are many other Southern comfort foods that pair well with the dish. We think cornbread like Franklin enjoyed is a good idea, or you can pair your chitterlings with homemade buttermilk biscuits. Hushpuppies are also a good idea, or you can opt for steamed rice to soak up all of the flavor from the chitterlings. Or add vegetables with green beans or turnips if collard greens aren't your thing. Then, the only thing left to do is finish the chitterlings with hot sauce like many in the South often do.