Because of that, this article I found over at Listverse really surprised me! This is one part of the chicken I figured was not good for anything. Just shows how wrong you can be about something!
Chicken Feet
Twenty years ago, not only were chicken feet almost completely useless, chicken farmers had to pay to get rid of them. Most of the time, they would end up as a filler in dog foods. In the 1990s, globalization became a more feasible reality for smaller companies aspiring for a transnational business model, and chicken farmers started profiting from the sale of chicken feet to China. Now, the U.S. exports about 300,000 metric tons of chicken feet a year. Just one company, Perdue Farms, produces over a billion chicken paws a year and brings in more than $40 million in revenue. The demand for chicken feet is so high, the farmers could breed twice as many chickens as they do now and still easily sell them to China, but they would have no way to sell all the other parts of the chicken in the United States. What was once a complete waste product is now the chief profit center for every chicken farmer in the United States. It is the consensus amongst the industry that without the global demand for chicken paws, most farms would be driven out of business.
I have never heard them called "chicken paws" that I know of. That name sounds a little creepy to me, ya know? Like something right out of a grade B monster movie! I alwas associate the term "paws" with animals like bears and dogs and cats and...well, you get the picture!
Who would have ever thought that these things were that popular? Certainly not me!
Let's have our coffee inside this morning. We can have hot biscuits and apple sauce on the side!
14 comments:
I've talked to people who've eaten them, but the thought just never appealed to me, nor have cow's feet, pigs feet, etc. Maybe, because I've seen what's on those feet when the animal is still alive!
Very interesting about the export of chicken feet to China. Some years back, we bought some to use as swizzle sticks in cocktails at a pig roast. Of course, we washed them well first. Needless to say, they were a big hit - almost as memorable as the pig was!
I think they eat them in China.
Bubba - I ate some wierd stuff overseas, but never to my knowledge did I eat chcken paws! What do they do with them in China - Use them for paint brushes? Makes me think of some kind of voodoo rattle or something.All is can say is yuk!!
Good Friday - it's Henry Day!!
That is strange. Bet someone is conduction genetic experiments to grow chickens with more legs. Some folks who see a live chicken are surprised to find out they only have two legs, they are used to styrofoam fryer packaging. :^)
Don't laugh, but you can add chicken feet to homemade soup! (Of course they have to be scrubbed clean!) We had that all the time when I was a kid. Nothing was ever wasted!
Hot biscuits and apple sauce??? I hope I get there first!!!!
One of the grocery stores in town sells chicken feet and I see them inside people's baskets. It's ok with me but I am going to pass.
It is going to be 70 here today. Finally!
Now it makes me wonder how many other "treats" I have missed. . . some I am glad I missed, like chicken "paws".
Chicken paws is a new one to me also. Never heard of chicken feet being referred to as "paws" - that is reserved for our four footed friends. Nice to know that someone has a use for our "unwanted" by products. Many long years ago most people tried to find a use for all parts of whatever they slaughtered. Coffee outside with biscuits and apple sauce sounds good to me. Still cold and snowy here. Have a great weekend!
What do they do with them? Soup?
I remember as a very small child my grandmother used them in soup and who knows what else. Like Phyllis said nothing was wasted. People didn't have food stamps or welfare. They used everything! I remember never eating that soup after I saw that.:)
And if they would lower the price of chicken then no problem raising more.
Hot biscuits I can smell them from here.
Yes we are having great weather here like JMD said.
Hey Gorges...
Like you, the idea of eating some of them has never crossed my mind. Just not interested!
Thanks for coming over today!
Hey 2Tramps...
Now that is a clever use for them! Might just slow down the drinking a bit.
Thanks so much for coming over today!
Hey Momlady...
I saw several recipes for them online, but I'll pass on making one!
Glad you are back home! Thanks for the visit!
Hey Sis...
Probably going to be a busy day for you, with Henry coming over!
Maybe you could fix him some "chicken paw" soup!
Thanks for dropping by today!
Hey Anon 7:35...
I think I read somewhere that they were trying to grow some chickens with 4 legs!
Crazy stuff! Hey, thanks for coming by this morning!
Hey Phyllis...
I reckon it's all about how you were brought up. I never had to eat them, so it just sounds strange to me!
Plenty to go around! Thanks for coming by this morning!
Hey JMD...
Probably some stores here sell them also, but I figure that I won't be putting them in my basket!
To each his own, so they say!
Thanks for coming over this morning!
Hey Dizzy...
You just never know what treats are just around the corner.
Thanks, buddy, for coming over today!
Hey Linda...
The paws name was a new one for me. Never even thught of chickens as having paws!
Happy to have you join in the warm coffee circle. Always glad when you drop by!
Hey Sixbears...
That seems to be what they are used for mainly. Guess I missed that meal!
Thanks for coming over this morning!
Hey Jo...
Guess we just don't realize how spoiled we have become, since some of our kin had to eat all parts of the critters they could.
I'll save you some biscuits, sweetie! Thanks for dropping by today!
I can actually remember having some of those that one of my aunts cooked up a long time ago when I was a kid. Can't really remember if I liked them or not, but I must have, I'm pretty sure I ate them. I've never seen them on a plate since though, and I'm sure I would give it try if someone with the knowledge cooked them up again. I'm not going to tackle it all on my own though.
Hey Hermit...
Haven't seen you in a while!
I can't help you with the fixin' them, as I never tried. Bet someone out there knows how!
Thanks, my friend, for coming over today!
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