Chicken as food

Chicken is the most common type of poultry in the world. Because chickens are easy and inexpensive to raise compared to animals like cattle or hogs, chicken meat and eggs are found in many different cuisines.

There are many ways to prepare chicken, such as baking, grilling, barbecuing, frying, boiling, and roasting. Since the mid-1900s, chicken has become a main part of fast food. Some people say chicken is healthier than red meat because it has less cholesterol and saturated fat.

The way chickens are raised for food varies around the world. In developed countries, chickens are often raised in large groups, while in other places, they are raised using older methods. In 2011, the United Nations estimated there were about 19 billion chickens on Earth, which is more than twice the number of people. Chickens can feel pain and distress, and this has led to important discussions about how they are treated when they are used for food.

History

The modern chicken comes from red junglefowl and grey junglefowl hybrids, first raised thousands of years ago in the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent.

Chicken has been eaten for a very long time. It appeared in Babylonian carvings from around 600 BC and was common in the Middle Ages. Many types of chicken, like capons, pullets, and hens, have been eaten across the Eastern Hemisphere. It was an ingredient in blancmange, a stew made with chicken, fried onions, milk, spices, and sugar.

In the United States during the 1800s, chicken was expensive and eaten mostly by wealthy people. Its popularity grew during World War II because there was less beef and pork available. In Europe, more chicken was eaten than beef and veal after 1996, partly because of concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

In 2021, the world produced 357 million tonnes of meat, and chicken made up more than half of the increase from 2000. Chicken became the most produced meat that year, just ahead of pig meat.

• Chicken wings being barbecued
• Fried chicken

Breeding

Main article: Poultry farming

Modern chickens, like the Cornish Cross, are raised mainly for their meat. These chickens are bred to grow a lot of meat using less food. In the U.S., the most common chickens eaten are Cornish and White Rock types.

Chickens raised for food are called broilers. In the U.S., these chickens are usually prepared for eating when they are very young. For example, Cornish Cross chickens might be ready to eat at just 8 weeks old for some dishes and 12 weeks for others.

Capons are special chickens that have been altered to produce more and fattier meat. They were considered a special treat, especially in the Middle Ages.

Edible components

See also: Poultry § Cuts of poultry

Chicken can be eaten in many ways. The main parts include:

• Breast: This is white meat and can be dry. It has two parts: the breast itself and two smaller pieces called tenderloins.
• Leg: This has two parts: the drumstick (the lower part) and the thigh (the upper part). Both are dark meat.
• Wing: Often eaten as a snack. It has three parts: the drumette, the middle flat part, and the tip.

Other parts of the chicken that people eat include:

• Chicken feet: Mostly eaten for the skin and cartilage, common in the Caribbean, China, and Vietnam.
• Giblets: These are organs like the heart, gizzards, and liver, which can be found inside the chicken or sold separately.
• Head: Considered a delicacy in China, eaten after splitting it down the middle.
• Neck: Used in many Asian dishes.
• Oysters: Small, round pieces of dark meat near the back, often considered a delicacy.

By-products from chickens also include:

• Blood: Collected after slaughter and used in some dishes.
• Carcass: Used for making soup stock.
• Chicken eggs: The most well-known by-product.
• Heart and gizzard: Especially popular in Brazilian churrascos.
• Liver: Used in dishes like pâté and chopped liver.
• Schmaltz: Made by rendering the fat and used in various dishes.

Health

Chicken has less fat than most red meats. For example, a piece of raw chicken breast has only a little fat and a lot of protein, while a similar piece of beef has more fat and less protein.

When chickens are raised on farms, they sometimes eat special food that can leave traces of certain materials in their meat. Also, some chickens may have tiny bits of waste on their skin or in their meat because of how they are raised and processed. This is why it’s important to cook chicken well and clean it properly.

Marketing and sales

Chicken can be sold whole or in pieces. In the United Kingdom, very young chickens under 28 days old are called poussin. Mature chickens are sold in sizes small, medium, or large.

In the United States, whole chickens are sold as fryers, broilers, and roasters. Fryers are the smallest and most common, ready in about 7 weeks. Broilers are larger, and roasters are the biggest and most expensive. The names show the best way to cook them because bigger chickens take longer to cook.

Chicken is also sold in pieces like quarters, which are parts of the bird. Pieces can come in packages of the same type or mixed together. Whole chicken can be cut into 8 pieces or sometimes 9 for fast food. Some packages have only certain pieces like breasts or thighs. Chicken livers and gizzards are also sold separately.

Many fast food restaurants around the world sell chicken, like KFC globally, Red Rooster in Australia, Hector Chicken in Belgium, and CFC in Indonesia. Their menus mostly have fried or breaded chicken served with french fries.

Cooking

Raw chicken can sometimes have tiny germs that make people sick, so it’s important to cook it to a safe temperature of 165 °F (74 °C). Even though some people in Japan eat raw chicken in a special dish called torisashi, most places cook chicken to keep it safe to eat.

Chicken can be cooked in many delicious ways! It can be grilled, baked, fried, or even made into sausages. Different cultures have their own favorite ways to prepare chicken. For example, in Western countries, chicken is often deep-fried to make popular fast foods like fried chicken and chicken nuggets. In Eastern countries, chicken is often marinated before cooking, like in Philippine adobo. Whether it’s roasted, baked, or used in curries, there are many tasty ways to enjoy chicken!

Freezing

Raw chicken stays good longer in the freezer because it loses some water when cooked. The nutrients in chicken don’t change much during freezing. For the best quality, whole raw chicken should be kept in the freezer for up to 12 months, chicken pieces for 9 months, raw chicken organs for 3 to 4 months, and cooked chicken for 4 months. Freezing usually doesn’t change the color of the chicken, but the bones and meat near them might look darker. This happens when color moves through the bones when the chicken is frozen and thawed.

It’s okay to freeze chicken in its original packaging, but this packaging lets air in, which can make the chicken quality worse over time. For longer storage, it’s best to wrap the packages again. If a package is torn or opened, the chicken is still safe, but it should be wrapped again. Keep chicken away from other foods so its juices don’t spill onto them. If you buy frozen chicken from a store and it has been handled correctly, you can freeze it again.

Bacteria can survive in freezing temperatures but won’t grow. However, if frozen cooked chicken isn’t defrosted properly or reheated to the right temperature, there’s a higher chance of getting sick from bad food.

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