KC Kudra asked: The chicken has been domesticated since at least 1400 BC, providing eggs and meat to the Chinese. The Polynesians introduced the bird to Chile in the 1300s, spreading the chicken to a completely new continent. Since then, the chicken has gone on to world domination as a food source. Easy to raise, they give us nutritious protein, and they are very versatile.
Almost every culture around the world has at least a few recipes for chicken. Mexico, France, Italy, and China… the list is endless. Chicken is low in cholesterol, mild, and relative cheap. The meat can be used in many different ways to create healthy, delicious meals.
What Kinds of Chicken is Available These Days?
At the grocery store, you will find whole chickens, fryers that are conveniently cut into pieces and packages of one part, like all thighs, all wings, or all *******. Small tubs of gizzards or livers are also available if you prefer. You can buy chicken with or without the bones. With all these options at the store, it is easy to plan many meals around chicken.
Whole chickens are less expensive than a package of all *******. The less processing the meat packers do, the more savings you get. If you do not feel comfortable or do not have time to cut up a chicken yourself, you can always opt for one that has been cut up or deboned for you.
What Can You Do With the Different Chicken Types?
Whole chickens can be roasted, and used for soup afterwards. Cut up chicken can be fried, fricasseed, baked, or stewed. Boneless chicken can be added to one-pot meals, chicken pot pie, soups, pasta, sautés, stir-fries and almost anything else you can imagine. Crockpot chicken recipes are very popular, and can be cooked while you are away.
Use chicken in Italian dishes like chicken linguine, French dishes like chicken and shallots, or Indian recipes like chicken tandoori. Asian recipes like peanut chicken, orange peel chicken and others add some zing to what may otherwise be an ordinary day. Make pollo relleno or chicken a la Tex Mex for a little spice. Each ethnic region also has many chicken soup varieties to try too.
Chicken also gives you the choice of white or dark meat. Each one has a different texture, and they each work well in different meals. Dark meat holds up better to long cooking times than white meat. It also really takes in the flavors of a marinade or sauce. White meat is better when you want to use it whole or put it on the grill.
So, all in all, we owe a lot to the chicken. It offers us meat that is low in fat and cholesterol. It is easily digested even by the weakest stomach. It can be added to almost any dish with tasty results. Chicken is more versatile than most other foods. When we are sick, chicken soup has even been proven to be beneficial. The simple chicken has elevated our food to an exalted place.
Ruth
