The Origin of Buffalo Wings opus 859
| 13 June 2026 1316 Hours | | Food, Custom, Diet, History |
When one looks into the history of something,
What at first looked obvious, scatters into a complex story.
So is the case with Buffalo chicken wings.
First of interest, is the fact that a once-humbly priced item,
Now from its 'fame,' goes for a much inflated price.
The standard take is that (Frank) and Teressa Bellisimo
In 1964, at their Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York,
First offered fried chicken wings,
Broken into pieces and tossed in hot sauce.
(Teressa had anecdotally, fried up some
Leftover wings for her sons one evening.)
A rival story concerns John Young, a Black restaurateur.
Who may have got the idea from the Black-owned
Washington DC restaurant , 'Wings N' Things,'
Who served them in mumbo sauce.
Young's wings were breaded and tossed
In his own version of mumbo sauce,
Perhaps as early as 1962, but perhaps before he got a license.
To complicate things, the Buffalo Clarenden Hotel had a menu
From 1857, listing an entree called 'Chicken Wings fried.'
There was also a recipe in an 1894 issue of the
Buffalo Commercial Advertiser for chicken wings!
In conclusion, the Bellissimo recipe seems to be the most copied.
Therefore, they are often credited
With inventing the original Buffalo wings.
Buffalo wings spread widely and became associated with the Super Bowl.
Now, with a great popular following, these wings
Have become the 'most expensive and in-demand pieces of chicken!
I'm hooked for something 'different.'