Buffalo chicken wings are a popular American finger food consisting of deep-fried chicken wings coated in spicy hot sauce, typically served with celery sticks and blue cheese dip. They originated in Buffalo, New York in the mid-1960s at Anchor Bar. The wings are usually snapped in half before cooking and can be coated in breading or spices before frying. The hot sauce is made with butter, peppers, and hot sauce, and the dish is typically served with celery and blue cheese to neutralize the heat. Beer is the most popular drink served alongside buffalo chicken wings.
Buffalo chicken wings are a primarily American food consisting of pieces of chicken wings that have been deep-fried and slathered in a spicy hot sauce. They are generally served alongside celery sticks and blue cheese dip as finger foods and are popular in bars and casual restaurants. The dish is ubiquitous throughout the United States, and its popularity has spread to many other countries as well. For many years, however, it was only known in upstate New York, particularly around the city of Buffalo, where it gets its name.
There is some controversy as to when exactly the first buffalo chicken wings were served, but all accounts hold Buffalo, New York as the birthplace of wings. A restaurant in that city, known as Anchor Bar, is widely credited with creating the version now known as the original in the mid-1960s. It was in this bar that wings are believed to have first been served with celery and blue cheese, for example. The main bar cook is also credited with first splitting the wings in half, which remains the most common preparation.
Chicken wings are often quite large and can be awkward to eat without a fork and knife. Buffalo chicken wings are always served as finger food. Therefore, for buffalo wings, the wings are usually snapped in half before cooking. This produces two pieces of chicken per wing: one shaped like a small drumstick and one that more closely resembles a wing.
Once broken in half, the pieces are usually fried. Wings that follow the traditional preparation are always fried without coating, but different cooks make different modifications. It’s not uncommon to find Buffalo Chicken Wings that have been coated in breading or spices before frying, or that have been baked or grilled, not fried at all. Cooking chicken is essential, but how it is cooked is often a matter of personal taste.
Hot sauce is one of the most distinctive parts of Buffalo chicken wings. Wings typically come in three varieties, each corresponding to the spiciness of the sauce: mild, medium, and hot. While much depends on individual cooks, it’s generally true that even the “mild” version carries with it a great deal of heat.
In most cases, the sauce is made with standard butter, peppers, and hot sauce, with commercial preparations often containing additional ingredients and preservatives. The cooked wings should be tossed in the sauce so that they are completely coated. They are served “wet”, usually immediately after the sauce has been added. This makes the snack one of the messiest chicken dishes, but in large part this mess is part of its fame.
Celery and gorgonzola are staple accompaniments mainly due to their ability to absorb and neutralize the heat of the sauce. Blue cheese, as a dairy product, contains milk enzymes that naturally “cool” the spice receptors on the tongue. Celery’s neutral, water-based flavor is typically refreshing as well. Beer is by far the most popular drink served alongside Buffalo Chicken Wings, although the dish can be served with any type of drink. Due to the heat of the dish, colder drinks are generally preferred.
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