 Buffalo wings with blue cheese dressing | |
| Alternative names | Buffalo chicken wings Chicken wings Hot wings[1] Wings[2] |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Buffalo, New York |
| Created by | Disputed |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Chicken wing Cayenne pepper hot sauce Butter |
| 90–110 kcal (380–460 kJ) | |
ABuffalo wing inAmerican cuisine is an unbreadedchicken wing section (flat or drumette) that is generallydeep-fried, then coated or dipped in a sauce consisting of avinegar-basedcayenne pepperhot sauce and meltedbutter.[3][4][5] They are traditionally served hot withcelery andcarrot sticks and adip ofranch dressing orblue cheese dressing.
Buffalo wings are named afterBuffalo, New York, where they were invented, and have no relation tothe animal. They are often called simplychickenwings,hot wings, or justwings.
Buffalo wings have gained in popularity in the United States and abroad, with some North American restaurant chains featuring them as a main menu item. The name "Buffalo" is now also applied to other spiced fried foods served with dipping sauces,[6] including boneless chicken wings (made from chicken breast meat rather than a chicken wing[7]),chicken fries,chicken nuggets,popcorn chicken,shrimp, andcauliflower. It is also used for other dishes, such aspizza, that are seasoned with the Buffalo-style sauce or a seasoning.[8]
There are several different claims about the invention of Buffalo wings.[9][10] One is that Buffalo wings were first prepared in 1964 at theAnchor Bar inBuffalo, New York, by Teressa Bellissimo, who owned the bar with her husband Frank.[10][11] At the time, chicken wings were inexpensive and undesirable, and normally thrown away or reserved forstock orsoup.[12]
Several versions of the story of the invention have been circulated by the Bellissimo family and others, including:
Although an article published about the Anchor Bar in a local newspaper during 1969 does not mention Buffalo wings, a local competitor of the Anchor Bar,Duff's, began selling Buffalo wings in that year.[14][15]
Another claim is that John Young, who moved to Buffalo from Stockton, Alabama in 1948 at the age of 13, popularized chicken wings in Buffalo.[16] Beginning in 1961, he began serving uncut chicken wings that were breaded, deep fried, and served in his own special tomato-basedMumbo sauce at his Buffalo restaurant.[17][18] Prior to opening his restaurant, he had a conversation with a boxer who traveled; in a later interview Young recalled: "He told me that there was a restaurant inWashington, D.C. that was doing a good business with wings and I decided to specialize."[18] In the same interview Young stated that the Anchor Bar did not offer Buffalo wings as a regular menu item until 1974.[18] He registered the name of hisrestaurant, John Young's Wings 'n Things, at thecounty courthouse before leaving the Buffalo area in 1970.[9][10][19] In 2013, at the National Buffalo Wing Festival held in Buffalo, John Young's contributions were acknowledged when he was inducted into the festival's National Buffalo Wing Hall of Flame.[20]
In 1977, the city of Buffalo issued an official proclamation celebrating Anchor Bar co-owner Frank Bellissimo and declared July 29, 1977, to be Chicken Wing Day.[21] Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Buffalo wings gained in popularity as abar food andappetizer across the United States, as well as in towns near the border in Canada.[22] Large franchises specializing in Buffalo wings eventually emerged, notablyBuffalo Wild Wings, founded in 1982, andHooters in 1983.[23]McDonald's began sellingMighty Wings as an option in 1990 at their restaurant locations in the United States.[24] In 1994, following fourSuper Bowl appearances by theBuffalo Bills football team, theDomino's pizza chain added Buffalo wings to their national menu, followed byPizza Hut the next year.[25][26]
As the market for chicken wings expanded, restaurants began to create and use a variety of sauces in addition to buffalo sauce.[27] Some of these new chicken wing sauces were influenced byChinese,Japanese,Thai,Caribbean, andIndian cuisines.[28][29] Other flavors created by restaurants include unique combinations, such as Blueberry BBQ Wing Sauce and Maple/Bacon Glaze for example, to help keep customer interest and grow their businesses.[30] After the price of raw wings increased, and with a growing desire by some diners for a neater eating experience, restaurants began to offer a menu item called "boneless wings," sometimes marketed under the name wyngz.[31][32] Boneless wings are essentially small pieces of skinless, boneless chicken breast that are coated in flour and spices, then fried or baked, like achicken nugget.[7] They are usually coated in or served with the same sauces as Buffalo wings. The growing popularity in recent years of Buffalo wing consumption, and of restaurants serving wings, have led to actual and perceived shortages of chicken wings in the United States during certain times.[33][34][35]
In many areas of the United States, chicken wing festivals are held—with Buffalo wings being used incompetitive eating events such as atPhiladelphia'sWing Bowl and theNational Buffalo Wing Festival.[36] It has also become commonplace for restaurants to offer a wing-eating contest.[37] Many bars and restaurants intentionally create an extra-hot sauce for this purpose, and customers are sometimes rewarded with their picture posted on the restaurant's wall or website, a commemorativeT-shirt, a free meal or a combination of rewards for successfully completing the challenge.[38]
The chicken wings used for Buffalo wings are usually segmented into three parts: drumette, flat, and flapper or pointer, the last of which is usually discarded, although some restaurants serve them with this latter part still connected to the flat. Traditionally, the wings are deep-fried in oil, without breading or flour until they are well browned. Alternatively, they may be baked, grilled, orbroiled.[39]
Cayenne pepper-basedhot sauce (classicallyFrank's RedHot, but similar sauces likeCrystal may be used), melted butter, and vinegar are the standard base of Buffalo wing sauce, which may be made mild, medium, or hot.[40] Other common ingredients include asWorcestershire sauce andgarlic powder. Commercial ready-to-use wing sauce is made with varying levels ofspiciness.[41] The cooked chicken wings are placed in a bowl or pot and shaken to coat the wings completely covering them in sauce before serving.
Traditionally, Buffalo wings are served with small sticks ofcelery (accompanied sometimes withbaby carrots or carrot sticks), andblue cheese dipping sauce on the side.[42]Ranch dressing, however, is the most popular wing dipping sauce in the United States.[43]
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