Why do Americans love chicken wings?

What’s not to love?

Chicken wings have gone up and down in popularity in the

U.S. over the years. Back when every part of the bird was
used (particularly among poor folks) the wing was treasured
just like all the other pieces, the leg, the thigh, etc., though
more refined people dismissed it as the less-desirable part of
the chicken. Or gave it to the kids. Or to the dog.

As a kid, I was the recipient of the wing, which began a long

love affair with this under-appreciated part of the chicken.

Chicken wings made a comeback in recent decades (though

they never lost popularity where I come from, Texas) when
restaurants and sports bars introduced spicy chicken wings,
as a featured dish. The most famous of these are Buffalo
Chicken Wings, invented in Buffalo, New York, with some
dispute about when it was invented, and by whom[1]

Several versions of the story of the invention of the Buffalo

wing have been circulated by the Bellissimo family and
others including:

Upon the unannounced, late-night arrival of their son,

Dominic, with several of his friends from college, Teressa
needed a fast and easy snack to present to her guests. It was
then that she came up with the idea of deep frying chicken
wings (normally thrown away or reserved for stock) and
tossing them in cayenne hot sauce.[9][10][13][12]
Dominic Bellissimo (Frank and Teressa's son) told The New
Yorker reporter Calvin Trillin in 1980: "It was Friday night
in the bar and since people were buying a lot of drinks he
wanted to do something nice for them at midnight when the
mostly Catholic patrons would be able to eat meat again."
He stated that it was his mother, Teressa, who came up with
the idea of chicken wings.[9][10]
There was mis-delivery of wings instead of backs and necks
for making the bar's spaghetti sauce. Faced with this
unexpected resource, Frank Bellissimo says that he asked
Teressa to do something with them.[9][10]
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 Famous
Wings, began selling Buffalo wings in that year.
Another claim is that a man named John Young, who moved
to Buffalo from Alabama in 1948, began serving uncut
chicken wings that were breaded, deep fried and served in
his own special tomato based "Mambo Sauce" at his Buffalo
restaurant beginning in 1964 … (read more at Wikipedia)

Here in Japan chicken wings are prized, commonly

available, though the way I usually see it butchered, it’s pre-
trimmed into to separate sections (the drumette, and center
portion, leaving out the very tip section) because Japan, and
probably other Asian countries, like the fattier parts of
meats, including just the skin. Grilled chicken skin skewers
are popular in Japan.

Americans aren’t the only folks who love chicken wings. But
chicken wings are a little bit too popular in the U.S.

Starting about six or seven years ago (in Seattle’s

supermarkets, not sure about the rest of the U.S.) chicken
wing prices started going up, until they were the same price
per pound as chicken breasts.
I asked the butcher why the prices were high. He said it’s
driven by demand. Apparently everybody wants chicken
wings, they’re a popular thing to make at home, or for the
grill, at BBQs, or for appetizers.

Which is evidence that yes, Americans love Chicken wings.

[This is an cartoon I drew back in 1988, it appeared in the

rocket magazine, and later, in a cookbook Northwest
Cartoon Cookery though it never appeared in my book
because I sold the original to a collector before it went to
press]?
What’s not to love?

Chicken wings have gone up and down in popularity in the

U.S. over the years. Back when every part of the bird was
used (particularly among poor folks) the wing was treasured
just like all the other pieces, the leg, the thigh, etc., though
more refined people dismissed it as the less-desirable part of
the chicken. Or gave it to the kids. Or to the dog.
As a kid, I was the recipient of the wing, which began a long
love affair with this under-appreciated part of the chicken.

Chicken wings made a comeback in recent decades (though

they never lost popularity where I come from, Texas) when
restaurants and sports bars introduced spicy chicken wings,
as a featured dish. The most famous of these are Buffalo
Chicken Wings, invented in Buffalo, New York, with some
dispute about when it was invented, and by whom[1]

Several versions of the story of the invention of the Buffalo

wing have been circulated by the Bellissimo family and
others including:

Upon the unannounced, late-night arrival of their son,

Dominic, with several of his friends from college, Teressa
needed a fast and easy snack to present to her guests. It was
then that she came up with the idea of deep frying chicken
wings (normally thrown away or reserved for stock) and
tossing them in cayenne hot sauce.[9][10][13][12]
Dominic Bellissimo (Frank and Teressa's son) told The New
Yorker reporter Calvin Trillin in 1980: "It was Friday night
in the bar and since people were buying a lot of drinks he
wanted to do something nice for them at midnight when the
mostly Catholic patrons would be able to eat meat again."
He stated that it was his mother, Teressa, who came up with
the idea of chicken wings.[9][10]
There was mis-delivery of wings instead of backs and necks
for making the bar's spaghetti sauce. Faced with this
unexpected resource, Frank Bellissimo says that he asked
Teressa to do something with them.[9][10]
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 Famous
Wings, began selling Buffalo wings in that year.

Another claim is that a man named John Young, who moved

to Buffalo from Alabama in 1948, began serving uncut
chicken wings that were breaded, deep fried and served in
his own special tomato based "Mambo Sauce" at his Buffalo
restaurant beginning in 1964 … (read more at Wikipedia)

Here in Japan chicken wings are prized, commonly

available, though the way I usually see it butchered, it’s pre-
trimmed into to separate sections (the drumette, and center
portion, leaving out the very tip section) because Japan, and
probably other Asian countries, like the fattier parts of
meats, including just the skin. Grilled chicken skin skewers
are popular in Japan.

Americans aren’t the only folks who love chicken wings. But
chicken wings are a little bit too popular in the U.S.

Starting about six or seven years ago (in Seattle’s

supermarkets, not sure about the rest of the U.S.) chicken
wing prices started going up, until they were the same price
per pound as chicken breasts.

I asked the butcher why the prices were high. He said it’s
driven by demand. Apparently everybody wants chicken
wings, they’re a popular thing to make at home, or for the
grill, at BBQs, or for appetizers.

Which is evidence that yes, Americans love Chicken wings.

[This is an cartoon I drew back in 1988, it appeared in the
rocket magazine, and later, in a cookbook Northwest
Cartoon Cookery though it never appeared in my book
because I sold the original to a collector before it went to
press]