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Poultry is the most accepted meat worldwide, having almost no religious, cultural or
ethnic taboos. There are a few small exceptions. There is a small African tribe, as one example,
that considers the bird sacred and uses both chicken and egg exclusively for religious
ceremonies. They even killed European missionaries who ate eggs in their presence.
Because they are not charming as pets, most members of the poultry family don't enjoy
the benefit of a political advocacy group that goes to bat for their living conditions, or other
rights. Poultry ranchers can concentrate on efficiency and the bottom line rather than creature
comforts or animal psyches. Even some so-called vegetarians will eat poultry occasionally,
claiming “it is not really meat." When a host or hostess is uncertain about the eating habits of
guests, poultry is the safest meal to serve. Those reluctant to eat red meat or allergic to seafood
are still willing to participate in a good poultry dinner.
Chicken is wonderful for its low price, for its ease of preparation, for its reasonably low
fat and cholesterol content and for its flavor (when you know how to cook it well). Chicken is by
far the most popular fowl on our dinner tables. During the 15-year period from 1980 to 1995,
American chicken consumption increased 57 percent, turkey consumption 84 percent.
Chicken is a surprisingly late introduction to the society of domesticated animals. It only
took up residence in barnyards and back yards about 4000 years ago, anywhere from 2000 to
6000 years later than other domesticated animals. Why it came along so late is still a mystery to
cultural anthropologists. You would think taming a bird is much simpler than domesticating a
horse, sheep or pig. It is so easy to catch baby birds, clip their wings and feed them until they are
big enough to serve at Sunday dinner.
Chickens began as jungle fowl in Southeast Asia, probably in today’s India. Humans may
have been drawn to them originally out of admiration for their aggressive cockiness. People used
chickens first in sacrificial ceremonies and sport fighting, then they promoted them (or demoted,
depending on your perspective) to the cook pot.
Whatever the original reason for their domestication, chickens have come a long way
from the common barnyard birds that just a century ago were a part of every rural and many
urban households. Now chickens are mass produced at a scale unimaginable back then. A single
modern U.S. chicken plant processes 20,000 broilers every hour (that’s 330 per minute). The
processing is high-tech, high-speed and clean. The highly mechanized and efficient operation is
one major reason for the low price of chicken. Cheap chicken feed and the chicken's efficient
way of using it are the others.
Nutrition
Poultry is an excellent source of protein, which makes up 28 to 30 percent of both
chicken and turkey meat. The rest of the meat is water, fat, a small amount of carbohydrate and
minerals.
Comparison of Protein and Fat in Poultry
(
cooked 4-ounce or 115-g servings)
Protein Fat
Gram
With Skin
Without Skin
% Gram
%
%
Gram
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