Why China and

America Fight Over

Chicken Feet
International squabbles have stopped a once-mighty
chicken foot trade.
BY KRISTI ALLEN

JANUARY 28, 2019

Why China and America Fight Over Chicken Feet

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A large amount of China’s imported chicken consists of paws. ALL
P H O TO S K R I S TI A L L E N

AM ER IC AN S E AT A LOT OF chicken, clocking in at almost 100 pounds

per person per year. However, there’s one part of the bird many
overlook: the chewy, clawed feet.
Chicken feet are a favorite treat around the world. Korea, the
Philippines, Vietnam, and many other countries all have their own
classic preparations of chicken feet. If there’s one place where they’re
most popular, it’s China. Across the country, chicken feet are eaten
everywhere from formal banquet halls to hole-in-the-wall lunch
counters.

Paul Aho, a poultry economist and consultant, estimates that up to 75

percent of China’s annual chicken imports are made up solely of feet
(or paws, as they’re known in the poultry industry). Most of those
chicken feet once came from the world’s biggest chicken producer: the
United States. But despite the massive demand, fraught international
trade politics means that the epic flow of chicken feet to China has
slowed to a trickle.

Chicken feet are eaten everywhere from banquet hall to hole-in-the-

wall.

The sinewy, meatless appendages of skin and tendon are known by a

more flattering name in Chinese: “phoenix talons,” or fèng zhǎo (凤爪
). Different regions of China all have their own local spin. One popular
dish is a Cantonese dim sum standard in both China and the States.
The feet are fried to make the skins puffy, then simmered for several
hours. Finally, they’re slathered with a sauce made from fermented
red bean paste and steamed. Most recipes combine two or more
cooking methods to fully tenderize the tough skin and tendons.
Chicken feet can be served hot or cold, spicy or mild, in soups and
stews or on their own. They’re sold as snacks in corner stores, often
shrink-wrapped in plastic for convenience.
In addition to their tastiness, Chinese people are also fans of chicken
feet for their health benefits. The collagen-rich snack is said to be good
for the skin. Since they’re often served cold, the demand rises
sharply in the warmer months of the year, between April and October.
Chicken feet are eaten so frequently that they’re often more expensive
than actual chicken meat. In fact, the domestic poultry industry can’t
keep up with demand.
Chicken feet are just one part of an international wrangle over poultry
imports.