'Chicken Tenders' opus 968
| 10 October 2026 2102 Hours | | Food, Custom, Diet, History |
Everything, however seemingly unimportant, has its history!
Chicken Tenders is no exception; it was created in 1974,
in Manchester, New Hampshire: at a restaurant: the Puritan Backroom.
Two Greek immigrants started the 'Puritan' candy store in 1917.
In 1974 the children expanded with a large sit-down restaurant.
A fry cook pointed out the pectoralis minor (the tenderloin).
This structure was not used by the bird for walking or flying,
Making it very tender but overlooked by butchers.
Charlie, the fry cook, marinated them in pineapple juice,
Breading them and then deep-frying them.
Served with a sweet duck sauce, the Chicken Tender was born.
Others have claimed to be the first (of course!), with chicken fingers,
But the 'Puritan Backroom' is recognized as the first
To have named and printed 'chicken tenders' on a menu.
The James Beard Foundation honored the restaurant in 2020
As an 'American Classic'.
The mayor of Manchester officially declared the city
To be the 'Chicken Tender Capital of the World.'
A leftover scrap of meat transformed American fast-food,
Creating the way for mega-dollar chains like Raising Cane's
And the cleverly-named Chick-fil-A!
Who knows what will pop up next?
(A friend left me a bagful, which sparked this research!)