MUSH

Mush is a term with more than one meaning in North American English. In cooking, it refers to a soft porridge made from ground grains such as cornmeal or oats. The grain is cooked slowly in water or milk until a thick, smooth consistency is achieved. It is commonly served hot and may be eaten plain or with toppings such as butter, milk, sugar, or syrup. In historical contexts, cornmeal mush was a staple in colonial and rural cuisine and is related to dishes such as hasty pudding. When cooled and solidified, mush can be sliced and fried or baked to form a cake. Related preparations using cornmeal with different textures include polenta and grits, though these terms can reflect regional ingredients and methods.

Mush is also the command used to urge a team of sled dogs to move forward in the sport and practice of mushing. The musher typically calls “mush” to initiate or maintain motion, often in concert with verbal cues or whistle signals. In this context, other commands such as “gee” (turn right) and “haw” (turn left) may accompany the driving of the team. The exact origin of the term in dog sledding is unclear, but it has become standard jargon in northern riding and racing communities.