There once was a chicken…

The genealogy of the domesticated chicken stretches back between 7 and 10 thousand years. The earliest fossils recovered which are attributed to chickens appear in northeastern China from approx. 5400 B.C. Based on the fossil record, their ancestors would have most likely originated from Southeast Asia.

The earliest chickens were prized and raised for cockfights; they were not considered a foodstuff for some time. From the ancient city of Maresha in Israel, archaeological recoveries dating back to 400-200 B.C. provide the first evidence that chickens were being used as foodstuffs. Thousands of bones with signs of butchering have been recovered; particularly, from female chickens which would not have been prized for cockfighting.

Evidence of large-scale chicken consumption later crops up in Europe in the first century B.C. From there, the birds’ popularity continued to soar, recently surpassing beef in terms of consumption, with Americans eating more than 80 pounds of chicken a year. As of 2018, approximately, 30 vertically-integrated companies, contracting with 25,000 family farms, produce well over 50 billion pounds of chicken per year. In 2004, the modern chicken was honored as the first domesticated animal for which a complete genome has been mapped out.

Know your chicken…

Nearly 200 breeds and varieties of chickens have been classified worldwide. While there are many varieties of chicken, the average American will typically have to distinguish between free-range, organic, and conventional chickens at their local grocery. Free-range chickens are allowed to roam freely in pastures, as their name implies. Organic chickens, which are typically the most expensive, are bred freely, must be raised according to USDA standards, and must be grown without medications that disturb the animals’ hormone cycle. Conventional chickens, while usually the cheapest of the three, are the most controversial, as hormones may be injected into the animals to stimulate unnatural growth and they may be kept in relatively unhygienic conditions.

According to the USDA, an average serving size of 100 grams of chicken has 165 calories for breast meat, 203 calories for wings, and 209 calories for thigh meat. An average serving is composed of protein (18 g), fat (15 g), saturated fat (4 g), cholesterol (75 mg), calcium (11 mg), iron (0.9 mg), magnesium (20 mg), phosphorus (147 mg), potassium (189 mg), sodium (70 mg), and zinc (1.3 mg). Chicken also contains vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin D, and vitamin K.

Chicken is a lean, high protein source with significantly less saturated fat and cholesterol than red meat such as beef, pork, or lamb. The American Heart Association still warns that excessive consumption can still lead to the development of heart disease.

Having your chicken…

Chicken can be sold either fresh or frozen. According to the USDA, “fresh” means the raw poultry has not been frozen below 26° F. Raw poultry that has been held at 0° F must be labeled frozen or previously frozen. The USDA also specifies the temperatures at which chicken can or cannot be stored.

At temperatures between 40° F and 140° F, bacteria can start multiplying. Freezing cannot kill bacteria but will stop the bacteria from multiplying and decomposing the chicken. Only the thorough cooking of poultry above 165° F will kill any present bacteria. Some bacteria that can be found in chicken include Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli, so proper cooking and sanitation methods should always be applied when dealing with the ingredient.

That being said, chicken is versatile and has been featured in global cuisines for centuries. The bones can be used to fortify a broth, the fatty skin can be crisped into a chip, and the various meats can serve as a lean protein source incorporated into a hearty curry, salad, or dip.

SOURCES

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