History of the chicken nugget
Since their creation, chicken nuggets have become part of the American culinary landscape. The fried bits of poultry and filler have become a fan favorite for young and old alike, and they can be ordered at just about any restaurant alongside a smorgasbord of perfectly engineered dipping sauces capable of satiating any appetite.
During the years after the World War II, chicken farmers faced a crisis. The military demand had boosted the production of chickens, but once peace was declared, homemakers weren't interested in cooking the bird.
Chicken at that time was usually sold whole, but it was too small to feed an average-sized family and too large for a single-person meal. Even when a butcher would make select cuts, the usual cooking methods were either pan frying or roasting, methods that weren't conducive to the busy post-war schedules of women entering newly-formed job markets.
As a result, chicken prices began to fall due to the inefficiency of cooking chicken.
The nugget was invented by Robert C. Baker in a laboratory at Cornell University in New York in the early 1960s. Baker was a food scientist who is often called the "George Washington Carver of chicken."
Baker created the nugget after discovering a way to keep ground meat together without skin, along with batter that wouldn't shrink when frozen or expand when fried. Baker achieved the concoction by grinding the chicken meat with vinegar and salt in order to dry it. He then added powdered milk and grains for a binding agent.
Baker's newly created "chicken sticks" became an instant success in upstate New York, and within six weeks, over 200 boxes of chicken sticks were being sold at local stores.
In addition to the chicken nugget, Baker also invented chicken hash, Cornell sauce, chicken cold-cuts and the chicken hot-dog.
After the success of the chicken stick, Baker refused to patent the invention and mailed the recipe to around 500 companies nationwide, giving the idea away for free.
In 1977, the U.S. Congress issued "The Dietary Goals For The United States" in response to the elevated cases of heart disease and other health issues, such as cancer and stroke, which were attributed to the poor and primarily red meat-based diet of Americans.
Families were urged to cut red-meat consumption and begin substituting steaks for fish and poultry. "The Dietary Goals For The United States" made poultry chicken sales skyrocket, and Americans began looking for fast, cheap and tasty ways to eat more chicken.
And through the golden arches enters the fast food behemoth, McDonald's.
Often credited with creating the chicken nugget, McDonald's contracted Tyson Foods to create a winning product in 1979 and the McNugget debuted in 1983.
The fried and breaded piece of mechanically-separated chicken meat took off, and it quickly became a best-selling item on McDonald's menu around the nation. Today, McDonald's sells on average 2,500 pounds of chicken every two minutes, and McNuggets are one of the top selling menu items.
Another fan-favorite, the McRib, was invented during a chicken shortage caused by the popularity of the McNugget. It was a solution to franchises that were unable to get a steady supply of McNuggets. It is now periodically offered
