Chicken is a staple on dinner tables around the world, but the same cannot be said for chicken feet. Gristly, taloned and largely devoid of meat, they give diners in most countries the ick – and used to be thrown straight in the trash.
But in China, they are a beloved delicacy. And that fact has created a lucrative market for global meat companies, which make hundreds of millions of dollars each year from selling chicken paws to the Chinese.
Chicken feet from overseas are particularly popular in China, as they tend to be higher quality and better value for money than domestic varieties.
“Most of the chicken feet consumed in China are imported from abroad,” said Yu Jian, a chicken feet distributor based in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu.
“The chicken breeds are different – [foreign chickens] have a longer growth cycle, which results in a larger size. Chinese consumers prefer big chicken feet due to their better mouthfeel.”
Chinese cuisine has developed a variety of ways to enjoy chicken feet. They are a staple in dim sum restaurants, a popular addition to spicy hot pots, and can even be soaked in pickled pepper brine to create a tangy, spicy snack.
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