China’s love of US chicken feet proves a recipe for a perfect trade

FT ^ | August 14, 2017 | Lucy Hornby

[Zhang Fei]

Ever wonder what happens to chicken feet and other seemingly non-useful parts of a chicken? Now you know. I understand they're working on finding a use for the feathers. Still unclear on what they do with heads and necks.

[Jamestown1630]

I use chicken feet every time I make chicken bone broth. Lots of collagen in them.

[Artemis Webb]

I realize it’s all about “what you grow up with”, but there is still no way in hell I’m eating chicken feet.

[BenLurkin]

Chicken hot dos.

[Zhang Fei]

[I realize it’s all about “what you grow up with”, but there is still no way in hell I’m eating chicken feet.]

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Yup. I love liverwurst/braunschweiger, but a good number of people I know cannot get over liver being a key ingredient.

[P.O.E.]

Chicken soup is not complete
Without a coupla chicken feet

[2ndDivisionVet]

They throw nothing away. Heads and necks probably go into pet food.

[lee martell]

I don’t suppose chicken feet have much flavor on their own, being mostly bone and tendon. Is that correct?
I have not tried feet with bone broth, but I suppose it adds a thickening ingredient vs using cornstarch.

[Fungi]

Bone broth is the new health fad. Infomercials galore.

[Vince Ferrer]

I realize it’s all about “what you grow up with”, but there is still no way in hell I’m eating chicken feet.

I have had chicken feet in the US. Most dim sum style restaurants serve it. You're not missing much.

[Zhang Fei]

[Chicken hot dos.]

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Mechanically-deboned meat aka pink slime? Weirdly enough, I’ve seen pink slime marketed as ground turkey. I’ve made turkey tacos with it, and it tastes just fine. The only problem I’ve is a bit more fine bone fragments than I’d like. Not the crack a tooth kind, but a little off-putting.

[Repeal The 17th]

You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken feet,
no matter how much mayonnaise and pickles you add.

[CivilWarBrewing]

YES!!!! I love liverwurst/braunschweiger too! A simple sandwich with a little mayo and a LOT OF MUSTARD and VOILA, AWESOME.

I've loved liver since I was a little kid. Who can dislike a steaklike dinner with no bones in it to deal with? Liver with bacon and onions is among my top dinner choices!

[Deaf Smith]

If the Chinese only knew what chicken and hog meat was, they would revolt.

Business partner went to China twice first part of this century. Closest he found to meat was pig ears.

I msg him back to ask the locals where the rest of the hog and chicken were

[ThanhPhero]

In traditional households in Việt Nam the senior male in the family or the guest of honor if it is a larger gathering gets the chicken feet in his soup. I was a bit of appalled when I received that honor the first time but did, not as expected but as hoped, and ate the edible portions. I can't say I love the delicacy now but it isn't really any different from French fries which I am neutral to. I don't choose them but I eat them.

[BunnySlippers]

Used to be that all of the Chinese maids in LA would get free bags of chicken feet, Not any more!

[oldasrocks]

Why would anyone eat a chicken cooked and canned in china. Been there and gag at the memory of virtually everything I’ve seen over there. Sanitation is not in their vocabulary. Visit a wet market sometime.

[VietVet]

They throw nothing away. Heads and necks probably go into pet food.”

In my family, the turkey necks from the Thanksgiving and Christmas birds got made into soup the day after the Holidays. Chicken necks (and gizzards and other not eaten parts) were used for crab bait during the Summer.

[2ndDivisionVet]

My late grandmother relished necks and gizzards.

[BaldJohn]

They throw nothing away. Heads and necks probably go into pet food.

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We lived in China for 3 years. During the Chinese New Year, the store we shopped at had carmel chicken feet and chicken heads, kind of like carmelled apples. They sold really well. Bald John