Chicken Feet

[Ian_Lee]

Just read an interesting article that the import of chicken feet from US into China is temporarily halted due to the Bird Flu.

The article says that US and PRC are most complementary partners in term of chicken trade.

US consumers like the breast and the thigh while Chinese customers like the wings, legs and feet. Moreover, Chinese consumers prefer American chicken feet because American chickens are usually grown to a bigger size before they are slaughtered. And chicken feet were thrown away as garbage in states like Alabama before they were found in markets like HK and then China. (In the days I went to college, the Americans even threw away chicken wings.)

Even before the current suspension, Chinese hygienic officials asked FDA to impose the same kind of rigid standard as applied to American consumers. (FDA officials used to check the chicken meat after their heads and feet are chooped off, but now they have to reposition their inspection on the production line.)

So currently now all the chicken feet bound for China have to be stored in the warehouse in HK.

By the way, I always think that chicken feet is only a HK delicacy. Now it seems the whole country has been hongkongised in terms of addiction to chicken feet.

Among all the chicken feet cuisine, I like "White Cloud Pheonix Paws" most.

[Quest]

By the way, I always think that chicken feet is only a HK delicacy. Now it seems the whole country has been hongkongised in terms of addiction to chicken feet.

[Quest]

Any cuisine that calls chicken feet "phoenix claws" is good.

白云凤抓，卤水鸡脚，凤抓（饮茶食嗰只） are all good.

My favorite would be the boneless（脱骨） "hot and sour" chicken feet （酸辣鸡脚） prepared with vinegar and red peper.

[Ian_Lee]

Quest:

Just some advice.

I used to love those boneless chicken feet like you do. But after I heard some awful story, I stopped ordering those boneless chicken feet.

Think how they get rid of those bones in the chicken feet. They are so tiny that no machines can do it. I heard that those food factory hire some old ladies to use their rotten teeth to chew out all those bones from the half-cooked chicken feet.

Next time when you devour on those boneless chicken feet, you may have picked up some saliva from the grandmom next door.

[skylee]

Ian, the same story applies to seeded preserved plum. 嘔~~~

And chickens have thighs and legs? What is the difference?

Quest, it is 鳳爪. The red ones we eat during yumcha is 豉汁鳳爪, yummy.

[Ian_Lee]

Here is the chicken feet article that I read:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0305chickenfeet05-ON.html

P.S. I guess leg refers to the drumstick while thigh refers to the dark meat portion closer to the breast.

[Quest]

Quest, it is 鳳爪. The red ones we eat during yumcha is 豉汁鳳爪, yummy.

oops my bad.

[ABCinChina]

I heard that those food factory hire some old ladies to use their rotten teeth to chew out all those bones from the half-cooked chicken feet.

I was looking for a thread on chicken feet and found this instead. Ouch! (Good thing I've never tried or heard of boneless chicken feet!

Maybe I'm weird but since I was a kid, I loved eating chicken feet from the Cantonese 點心 restaurants in LA. From the immortal words from a laowai who thinks he's Chinese on the inside (Egg), "Chicken Feet = Good Eatin"

[skylee]

(Egg)

cute.

[ABCinChina]

You've never heard of the term "egg" or "banana" before?

[dalaowai]

I had never heard the term "egg" before, however come to think of it, it makes sense now...my wife always calls me a 笨蛋.

[ABCinChina]

Just in case you didn't get where the term came from....an egg is someone who is white on the outside, but yellow on the inside. Anyways, I think most laowai think that chicken feet are disgusting, but you never know until you try!

Edited February 20, 2009 at 07:02 AM by ABCinChina

[lussie]

I've heard "banana" before, then I can deduce what does "egg" mean. It's really cute however. And my favourite is 泡椒凤爪, steamed chicken feet immersed in pepper water,yummy!

[xiaocai]

By the way, I always think that chicken feet is only a HK delicacy. Now it seems the whole country has been hongkongised in terms of addiction to chicken feet.

I don't think so though. And I also don't think the addiction to chicken feet is because of "hongkongisation". In Sichuan, along with chicken feet, goose feet and duck feet are all served as delicacies in lots of traditional 川菜酒楼.

[zozzen]

I don't think so though. And I also don't think the addiction to chicken feet is because of "hongkongisation". In Sichuan, along with chicken feet, goose feet and duck feet are all served as delicacies in lots of traditional 川菜酒楼.

Yeah exactly. Chicken feet is so common in various streams of Chinese cuisine. No matter where i go in China, i can buy it easily in local stores, supermarkets and restaurants. Yunan, Xichuan, Guizhou and Taiwan seem to have strong preference for these stuff.