Superbowl weekend- 1.25 Billion chicken wing portions

[Gargoyle]

Parade magazine stated that on Superbowl weekend Americans will eat 1.25 Billion chicken wing portions. That blows me away on multiple levels.

One is the scale of the chicken industry. I don't know the definition of "portion", but I think one wing equals 2 portions (please correct me if I'm wrong), which means 312,500,000 chickens to produce 1.25 billion wing portions. And that is just for one day's consumption. Amazing. Please note: I do NOT want to get into any ethics discussion, other than to remember how lucky our chooks are- even if we don't always get everything right, their quality of life is stupendous compared with 99.99% of chickens in this country. It's one more reason to enjoy and appreciate our little flocks.

Another thing is the scale of our appetites. Last year a reported 111 million people in the U.S. watched at least part of the Superbowl. That works out to about 11 wing portions per person average, but since not all of them actually ate wings, there must be a lot of people who eat 30 or 40 wing portions during those few hours. Scary!

Of course, just because the 1.25 BN number is published in Parade Magazine doesn't make it true; I've been around long enough to know that reporters and editors are not infallible.

 

[OldChurchEggery1]

Not long ago, NPR did a segment on the chicken meat market and how the focus on "healthy" cuts of meat (breast meat with no skin) has made for a glut of the darker portions. It used to be that the US easily exported to Russia, but now even Russia is forgoing thighs and drumsticks for the white meat. I think it's ironic that so many recipes marinate chicken breasts in an oil/acid mixture to add flavor when the thighs have flavor of their own! A little fat goes a long (and tasty) way.

 

[Gargoyle]

A little fat goes a long (and tasty) way.

Maybe that's why I always liked the dark meat, for my taste buds the white meat tends to be drier and have less flavor.

Wikipedia says one of the legends on the origin of buffalo wings were normally thrown away or reserved for stock, but a restaurant owner in Buffalo, NY grabbed them to make a quick late night snack for her son and his friends.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Good idea. I think I will make Buffalo Wings for the game.

 

[Gargoyle]

Wow, there is even a wing eating competition, the Wing Bowl 2012
http://wingbowl.cbslocal.com/

 

[chickened]

http://www.foodreference.com/html/f-chick-consp.html

The per capita consumption. It is nearly 100 pounds a year. Many factors contribute to this but chicken is definitely here to stay.

 

[mandelyn]

Yeah it is difficult to understand the scope of consumption. All those chickens the wings came off of had to eat and poop too. Then all those bones need thrown away.Quite the pile. Oh, the napkins and hand wipes, paper plates.. Today will be a big day for garbage.

 

[Nitrous]

Love chicken wings! My ex-wife would make them HOT, with drumsticks. Nice, big drumsticks. I'd never heard of buffalo wings until I met her. Probably the best part of that relationship. And her tomato salad.

 

[chickened]

Maybe someone can develope a 4 or more winged chicken.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Maybe there will be a good sale on Chicken breasts after Super Bowl Sunday. All those breasts from all the chickens that produced all those wings will have to be sold.