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Uncovering Tasty Secrets: Top 9 Fun Facts About Chicken Wings You Never Knew!

illustration of chicken-wings
Get ready to embark on a finger-licking adventure as we explore the deliciously surprising world of fun facts about chicken wings!

1. Wingless Night to Buffalo Fame

Once upon a wingless night, chickens around the world rejoiced as their seemingly useless appendages took flight in American cuisine: it was during the 1980s when chicken wings went from a poultry byproduct to a delectable staple, thanks to sports bars, football frenzy, and a stroke of saucy genius in Buffalo, New York, back in 1964, giving birth to the iconic Buffalo wing.
Source => nationalchickencouncil.org

2. Molly Schuyler's Wing-Eating Record

In a clucktastic display of gluttony that would make even Joey Chestnut shed a proud tear, Molly Schuyler winged her way into the history books: She gobbled down a jaw-dropping 501 buffalo wings in just 30 minutes at the 26th annual WIP Wing Bowl in Philadelphia on February 2, 2018, shattering the previous record of 444 wings and walking away with a shiny Hyundai Sonata and $5,000 in cash.
Source => thedailymeal.com

3. National Buffalo Wing Festival Feast

If you're craving chicken wings that'll make your taste buds feel like they just won the Super Buffalo Bowl, especially when smothered in zesty sauce, look no further than this gastronomic showdown: At the US National Buffalo Wing Festival in Orchard Park, New York, wing enthusiasts can score 10 succulent wings for a mere $13.95 plus tax, using food tickets, while enjoying free parking and golf cart transportation for guests with ADA requests.
Source => buffalowing.com

4. Birth of Buffalo Wings and Football Culture

Take flight with these fowl origin stories: In 1964, creative genius Teressa Bellissimo of Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York transformed humble chicken wings into spicy-hot saucy sensations as a late-night nosh for her son and his pals. The finger-licking goodness really gained traction in the 1980s, as sports bars with multiple TVs and satellite dishes turned into football-watching havens, and the affordability, shareability, and beer-compatibility of chicken wings took flight among game-day gatherings.
Source => nationalchickencouncil.org

Super Bowl Wing-Devouring Extravaganza

5. Super Bowl Wing-Devouring Extravaganza

The "wild wings" of the Super Bowl never tasted so finger-licking good, as America tackles its way into a new record of poultry proportions: Americans are anticipated to devour a colossal 1.42 billion chicken wings during Super Bowl LV, surpassing last year's consumption by 20 million wings, which has prompted the National Chicken Council to form a petition to designate the day after the big game as "National Chicken Wing Apprecation Day."
Source => rd.com

6. Wing Bowl's Record-Breaking Eaters

In a clucking display of poultry-devouring prowess that would make Foghorn Leghorn proud, a Nebraska-based competitive eater conquered an astonishing feat: Molly Schuyler consumed a staggering 363 chicken wings in 30 minutes at the 22nd Wing Bowl competition, beating the previous record of 337 wings set by Takeru Kobayashi in 2012.
Source => time.com

7. Anatomy of a Chicken Wing

Feeling peckish for some poultry trivia? Wing it with us as we dive into the fly world of chicken-wing-etiquette: Chicken wings actually consist of three parts - drumettes, flats, and the oft-overlooked tips, with the first two reigning supreme in restaurants while the scrumptious tips are becoming increasingly elusive in grocery stores.
Source => thekitchn.com

8. Four-Winged Chicken Parties

When chickens decide to "wing it," they sure know how to throw a party: each chicken has four scrumptious wings –wingettes, drumettes, and tips – that keep us feasting on approximately 290 tasty morsels per year, with National Chicken Wing Day on July 29th cheering on our indulgence in this saucy spectacle, be it with a tangy hot or cool ranch twist, and a splash of veggie-sidekick flavor for good measure.
Source => nationaldaycalendar.com

9. Buffalo Wings' Saucy Backstory

Before getting all sauced up with their flavor, chicken wings were planning to just wing it through the culinary world: It was in the 1960s that Teressa Bellissimo, in a stroke of saucy genius, concocted the famous Buffalo wing recipe in Buffalo, New York – a sizzling combination of wings doused in hot sauce, served with blue cheese dressing, and keeping things cool with celery sticks. Now they're a soaring success, ruffling feathers at restaurants and parties alike!
Source => urbancowgirllife.com

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