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Domesticated chickens have been providing us with meat and eggs since before 1400 BC. The Chinese kept them and eventually the Polynesians brought them on journeys to Chile in the 1300s. Since these early times, chicken has earned a place all over the world. Easy to raise, they give nutritious meat that can be used in many different ways.

Almost every culture around the world has at least a few recipes for chicken. Mexico, France, Italy, and China… the list is endless. Chicken is low in cholesterol, mild, and relative cheap. The meat can be used in many different ways to create healthy, delicious meals.

What Kind of Chicken Can be Found?

At the market, you can find whole chickens, cut up fryers, or portions like all thighs, all breasts, all wings, or all drumsticks. You can even find small tubs of chicken livers or gizzards if you like them. You can find chicken with the bone left in and boneless chicken. With all these choices, a home cook has many options for easy meals.

Whole chickens are less expensive than a package of all breasts. The less processing the meat packers do, the more savings you get. If you do not feel comfortable or do not have time to cut up a chicken yourself, you can always opt for one that has been cut up or deboned for you.

Lots of Variety

Whole chickens can be roasted, and used for soup afterwards. Cut up chicken can be fried, fricasseed, baked, or stewed. Boneless chicken can be added to one-pot meals, chicken pot pie, soups, pasta, sauts, stir-fries and almost anything else you can imagine. Crockpot chicken recipes are very popular, and can be cooked while you are away.

Use chicken in Italian dishes like chicken linguine, French dishes like chicken and shallots, or Indian recipes like chicken tandoori. Asian recipes like peanut chicken, orange peel chicken and others add some zing to what may otherwise be an ordinary day. Make pollo relleno or chicken a la Tex Mex for a little spice. Each ethnic region also has many chicken soup varieties to try too.

Chicken also gives you the choice of white or dark meat. Each one has a different texture, and they each work well in different meals. Dark meat holds up better to long cooking times than white meat. It also really takes in the flavors of a marinade or sauce. White meat is better when you want to use it whole or put it on the grill.

The chicken gives us quite a bit to be thankful for. Low in fat and cholesterol, it helps us stay healthy. It is easily digested, even when we are sick. It is suitable for just about any cuisine you may want to try. Chicken is the ultimate versatile food. Soup made with chicken has even been proven to help us get better when we are sick. The little chicken has given us quite a lot.