Chicken (food)
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| Chicken, broiler, with skin Nutritional value per 100 g |
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| Energy 220 kcal 900 kJ | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Not including 32% bones. Excluding 13% skin and loose fat reduces fat content to 6%. Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient database |
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Chicken is common source of meat and a type of poultry. It is one of the most common meats in the world, and is frequently prepared as food in a large number of ways. It is one of the easiest meats to digest.[citation needed] There is significant variation in cooking methods amongst cultures; historically common methods include roasting, baking and frying. Today, chickens are also cooked by deep frying and prepared as fast food such as chicken nuggets. Modern varieties of chicken such as the Cornish Cross, are bred specifically for meat production, with an emphasis placed on the ratio of feed to meat produced by the animal. The most common breeds of chicken consumed in the US are Cornish and White Rock.[1]
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[edit] Edible components
Chickens raised specifically for meat are called broilers. In the United States, broilers are typically butchered at a young age. Modern Cornish Cross hybrids, for example, are butchered as early as 8 weeks for fryers and 12 weeks for roasting birds. Typically, the muscle tissue (breast, legs, thigh, etc), livers, and gizzard are processed for food. Chicken feet are less commonly eaten, though they are popular in Chinese cuisine. The head, internal organs such as the lungs and intestines, and feathers are typically discarded or ground into a protein meal for inclusion in other animal feeds, although Chinese cuisines may retain the whole bird on the dish (with the head), depending on the dish. Internal organs are also popularly used for yakitori.
Capons (castrated cocks) produce more and fattier meat than normal cocks. For this reason, they are considered a delicacy and were particularly popular in the Middle Ages.
Chicken wings refers to a serving of the wing sections of a chicken. Deep fried wings coated in sauce are also known as Buffalo wings.
[edit] Processed chicken
Some chicken breast cuts and processed chicken breast products include the moniker "with Rib Meat." This is thought to be the blackish meat surrounding and in between the rib cage. The breast is cut from the chicken and sold as a solid cut, while the left over breast and rib meat is stripped from the bone through cooking or solvents. The resulting meat is reduced and processed with stabilizers and additives into its consumer form, such as chicken nuggets. Breast meat is often sliced thinly and marketed as chicken slices, an easy filling for sandwiches.
[edit] Cooking
Raw chicken should be cooked or frozen within two days of purchase; it can be kept in the freezer for up to two months. Chicken should not be eaten raw, as it may contain bacteria such as salmonella.
Chickens often come with labels such as "roaster", which suggest a method of cooking based on the type of chicken. While these labels are only suggestions, ones labeled for stew often do not do well when cooked with other methods.[2] Chicken can be cooked in innumerable ways; it can be made into sausages, put in salads, grilled, breaded and deep-fried, or used in curry.
While chicken bones are not edible, they can be simmered with vegetables and herbs for several hours to make homemade chicken stock. The vegetables and bones should be removed before consumption.
[edit] History
Chicken was one of the most common meats available in the Middle Ages. It was widely believed to be easily digested and considered to be one of the most neutral foodstuffs. It was eaten over all of Europe and a number of different kinds of chicken such as capons, pullets and hens were eaten. It was one of the basic ingredients in the so-called white dish, a stew usually consisting of chicken and fried onions cooked in milk and seasoned with spices and sugar.
U.S. Chicken consumption increased during World War II thanks to shortages of beef and pork. [3]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Focus On: Chicken, USDA. March 2, 2007.
- ^ How to Buy: 5 Things to Keep in Mind, Food Network. March 2, 2007.
- ^ Poultry Farming, The History Channel. March 2, 2007.
