Monday, July 24, 2023

Who Really Invented Buffalo Wings?



Believe it or not, buffalos do not have wings, and Buffalo wings are not made of buffalo meat. That's the usual joke, but these spicy chicken wings were created in Buffalo, New York. And... that's about the only fact we can assert with absolute confidence. Were they created by Teressa Bellissimo at the Anchor bar in 1964? Or was it John Young at Wings 'N Things in 1961? We may never know the exact truth. But the city of Buffalo has benefitted greatly from the wings and their popularity. Two hometown guys took the idea nationwide with Buffalo Wild Wings. Other sports bars started selling Buffalo wings, and the dish became known as the perfect snack to eat while watching sports. Chicken producers in general benefited, too, as the smallest part of the chicken went from almost useless to a valuable commodity, especially around Super Bowl time. You have to admit, wings are a lot more appetizing with the tip gone and the elbow separated. Throw in some spicy sauce to make you forget there's hardly any meat on them, and you've got a hit.

3 comments:

gwdMaine said...

Hmmm. I'm gonna stick with the Anchor Bar on this. Interesting about Buffalo Wild Wings, too bad the weck part didn't make it. Beef on Weck, specifically "kummelweck", is one of the geeatest sandwiches ever.

xoxoxoBruce said...

Meat? It's fried skin and sauce.

Tim said...

gwdMaine - sorry, but I disagree. I have tried weck sandwiches and did not care for them. I think it was the caraway seeds. But I'm glad you like them.

I do not care for buffalo wings either.