Hot Wings: The Most American Food

Published: March/21/2017

Hot Wings are the most American food! Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get into the brass tacks.

The first Hot Wing (also called chicken wings or Buffalo wings) came into this world in 1964 from the fantastic city of Buffalo, New York, United States of America. The origin story goes like this: Dominic Bellissimo arrived at his parent’s bar, the Anchor Bar, late one night with several college friends looking for some food. In order to create a quick and easy meal, Dominic’s mother, Teressa, threw chicken wings into a deep fryer, tossed the cooked wings in cayenne hot sauce, and served up the legendary food we now call hot wings.

So, hot wings were born in America. That’s a pretty good start to be considered American. But what makes it the ‘Most American Food’? A hot wing is thrown into a giant vat of oil and fried at a high temperature for a short amount of time. It is then smothered in sauce (or dry rub) and devoured quickly. That sounds pretty badass, and therefore, American.

Still not convinced? How about this? Hot wings come in all sorts of sizes and sauces. You can have big meaty wings and small crispy wings. You can have traditional sauces like buffalo and mild, or you can have crazy flavors inspired by all different cultures like Teriyaki and Sriracha. In a way, hot wings are the melting pot of the food world. You know what else is often called a melting pot? That’s right: America!

That not doing it for you? Try this one on for size. More Americans watch the Super Bowl each year than any other televised broadcast in the United States. And do you know what food is a must-have at every Super Bowl party? Hot wings. The answer is hot wings. In fact, it is estimated that 1.3 billion wings are consumed while watching the Super Bowl. That’s enough to feed every man, woman, and child in America 4 wings each. These aren’t alternative facts here people.

“Hold on!” you say. “There are plenty of other foods that are more American than hot wings!”

Yeah, let’s take a look at these so-called “American foods”.

Hot Dogs

Hot Dogs are a favorite of ballparks and cookouts – synonymous with America’s favorite pastime and the Fourth of July. You can’t beat a good hot dog slathered in mustard, ketchup, and relish. Do you know where the name comes from? It was literally named hot dog because it looked like a dog that is known for being long, specifically, a Dachshund – a German dog! In fact, hot dogs originated from the frankfurter, which was created in Frankfurt, Germany. I don’t know about you, but Germany doesn’t sound very American to me.

Apple Pie

I’m sure we have all heard the saying, “As American as Apple Pie.” Scoop some ice cream on it (or a slice of cheddar cheese, if you’re into that sort of thing), and you’ve got yourself a delicious treat. Well, first of all, the apples used in Apple Pie aren’t even native to American soil. They were first brought over as trees, and then didn’t even produce much until we brought over European bees to pollinate. On top of that, the English were making Apple pies since the late 1300s. So, Apple Pies – Delicious? Absolutely. American? Not really.

Pizza

There’s nothing like a good pizza. Whether you’re a fan of New York style or Chicago Deep Dish, there’s no denying that Americans love their pizza. I think you know where this is going, though. There are forms of pizza from thousands of years ago from places like Sardinia, Greece, and Persia. But, it was made truly famous in Italy back in the 16th – 17th century, where it grew into the food we love today. Besides, I think most people agree that Pizza is more Italian, not American.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Those foods are all great. But Hot Wings were created in America; they are primarily served in America; and they are absolutely enjoyed by all Americans. In fact, have someone eat a hot wing. If they don’t like it, well, they’re not American. Honestly, that’s all that should be done for a citizenship test.

So we should all pledge allegiance to the almighty Hot Wing as the Most American Food in the United States of America!