GAINESVILLE, Ga. — It’s no secret that Americans love Buffalo chicken wings, especially for the Super Bowl. The Buffalo chicken wing has become a staple for American households not only for the big game, but for a summer barbecue, a pool party or any patriotic holiday.
Buffalo chicken wings are great served as appetizers or meals, but how did this trend begin?
History
For such an iconic food, Buffalo chicken wings have only been around for about 45 years. According to TIME magazine, chicken wings served this way were dreamed up in 1964 by a woman named Teressa Bellissimo. She and her husband Frank Bellissimo owned a restaurant in Buffalo N.Y., called The Anchor.
Bellissimo served the first plate of wings in 1964 with her own special sauce with sides of celery and blue cheese. The origin of chicken wing was disputed between the Bellissimo family members. In 1980, Frank Bellissimo told the New Yorker that the wings meal was created by accident. The restaurant was wrongly sent chicken wings instead of other chicken parts and they didn’t know what to do with them. Although, Dominic Bellissimo, Teressa’s son, had a different story to tell about the origin of the wings. He said that he went out drinking with his friends and came home around midnight. When he came home, he asked his mother to make him an unplanned snack and she made wings.
Unfortunately, the three members of the family have since passed away so there is no way to find out for sure which account is true. Since the creation of Buffalo chicken wings, the New York town of Buffalo started the national holiday of National Chicken Wing Day in 1977. For many years, these wings were a New York specialty, however, they eventually began their spread across the country in the 1980s.
Statistics
Americans really enjoy eating chicken wings. Surveys have shown that 56 percent of Americans favor traditional Buffalo wings and 44 percent of Americans enjoy boneless wings. When people consume a modest amount of chicken wings, the wings can actually increase hemoglobin and the immune system. Eating chicken wings twice a week can also give someone much needed nutrients and vitamins. Another popular flavor of chicken wings in the United States is Honey Barbecue.
During the 2020 Super Bowl, Americans ate 1.4 billion Buffalo chicken wings. The National Chicken Council described what 1.4 billion chicken wings looks like. If every player of the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs ate 825,000 chicken wings, it would amount to 1.4 billion; and 1.4 billion chicken wings could circle the earth three times. There would be enough of the 1.4 billion chicken wings to have fed every attendee of the Super Bowl since it started in 1967. Each person would receive 342 wings each. The 1.4 billion chicken wings would line the border of the state of Florida nine times. If each of the chicken wings were counted in seconds, it would add up to 45 years. During last year’s Super Bowl, it was predicted that Americans would be eat 1.42 billion chicken wings.
Recipes
Everyone has their unique ideas for making Buffalo chicken wings. According to yahoo.com here are some ideas for a Super Bowl party.
- Oven-Baked Buffalo Wings
- Everything Chicken Wings
- Crispy Baked Cauliflower Wings
- Cilantro, Lime and Yogurt Chicken Wings
- Honey Garlic Jerk Chicken Wings
- Easy, 7-Ingredient Mango Pineapple Habanero Hot Wings
- Garlic Parmesan Wings
- Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings
- Sticky Baked Chinese Chicken Wings
- Baked Boneless Honey BBQ Chicken Wings with Spicy Ranch
There’s 10 good suggestions, which variety is your favorite?
