After the joy of the holidays, the next thing we have to look forward to is the SuperBowl! Whether you watch football or not, SuperBowl Sunday is an opportunity to kick back, relax and eat your favorite foods. And one of the top foods to eat on this day is the famous chicken wing. Even with 12.5 million pizzas, hundreds of millions of pounds of avocados, four times the normal amount of nachos and 325 million gallons of beer, the most iconic football food is the chicken wing. During SuperBowl weekend, Americans consume about 1.38 billion chicken wings. And it has been like this for decades. As you prepare for this year's SuperBowl, take a few minutes to learn about why chicken wings have become a staple on this day. You'll gain a new appreciation for this tender, flavorful protein!
History of Wings and Why We Eat Them on SuperBowl Sunday
Even though you've probably eaten chicken wings practically you're entire life, this is actually a newer phenomenon. It turns out these wings are less than 50 years old. Before the 1950s, chicken was very expensive and difficult to cook. You had to buy chickens whole, so beef and pork were more popular. In the 1950s, chicken farming became industrialized, making this meat more affordable. But Americans still weren't buying it. That's when the government stepped in and sought out alternative markets, such as by sending whole chickens to Europe. This didn't work out so well, so in the 1960s and 70s, the bird was able to be traded in bits and pieces. The white breast meat was widely preferred by Americans, while the dark meat was popular in countries like Mexico and China. Then one day, the Bellissimo family in Buffalo, NY started deep frying wings and coating them with hot sauce. The family began promoting this idea, and by the 1980s, buffalo chicken wings were on many bar menus across the country. So what's the link to football? The buffalo chicken wing got lots of coverage during the early 1990s when the Buffalo Bills played in the SuperBowl for four consecutive years. Today, chicken wings are a staple of the SuperBowl experience.
Celebrate SuperBowl with Chicken Wings from La Rosa
Now that SuperBowl is just around the corner, you can start planning your menu! Whether you choose to cook your own wings at home or order them from a chicken restaurant like La Rosa Chicken and Grill, you'll now have a new appreciation for this tender juicy meat.
FAQs
Vincenzo Pugliese
From our home to yours, you'll be proud to serve your family our nutritious, wholesome meals. Vincenzo Pugliese is the Founder and CEO of La Rosa Chicken & Grill, which opened its doors July 5, 1994 in Marlboro, New Jersey.
What does La Rosa mean? ›
LaRosa is a common surname, meaning "the rose" in Italian. LaRosa is a common surname within Sicilian families, and is of Cantabrian-Castilian origin.
Who is the founder of La Rosa? ›
La Rosa is an American Fast Casual restaurant chain founded by Vincenzo Pugliese on July 5, 1994 in Marlboro, New Jersey. The company currently has its headquarters in Manalapan, New Jersey.
Who owns Delarosa restaurant? ›
This is One Year In, a feature wherein Eater sits down for a chat with restaurateurs and chefs celebrating their one year anniversary. Remember for a moment, Delarosa: the youngest member of the Beretta-Starbelly family, run by chef Ruggero Gadaldi, Adriano Paganini and Deborah Blum.
Is Rosa a Spanish or Italian name? ›
Rosa is a female given name, especially in the Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian languages. Notable people with the name include: Rosa de Lima, or Rose of Lima (1586–1617), Peruvian nun and saint. Rosa Silvana Abate (born 1963), Italian politician.
Is La Rosa an Italian last name? ›
Italian (southern; also Larosa): from rosa 'rose' (see Rosa), with the definite article la, a topographic name for someone living by a prominent rose bush.
What does Rosa mean in Italy? ›
In Italian and Catalan, it means "rose" (flower). It is also a Portuguese and Spanish language surname. Variants include Da Rosa or da Rosa, De Rosa or de Rosa, and DeRosa or DaRosa. In Polish, Czech, and Slovak, it means "dew".
Who owns Chicken Express franchise? ›
About Chicken Express
Chicken Express, owned by Stuart Group Inc., was founded in 1988 by Richard and Nancy Stuart along with their son, Richard (Ricky) Stuart II. The fast food restaurant, dine-in or drive thru, has become famous for its Express Tenders®, always fresh not frozen, and Chicken E® Sweet Tea.
Who are the owners of Dixie Chicken? ›
Dixy Chicken was founded in 1986 by Mohammed "Mo" Chowdhury and Samuel Jackson (Meshoe). It was taken over by the American chain Church's Chicken in February 2008.
Who bought Miami Grill? ›
The company started as Mr. Submarine when it launched in Canada and later became Miami Subs Grill when it moved to Florida. Nathan's Famous purchased the brand in 1999 for $14.4 million.
But at Mr. Charlie's Chicken Fingers in Murray, the niche menu “helps us to be consistent and quick," said Bartley Melton, who co-owns the new business with his friend Cody Hilliard. The two men — and their Southern drawls — hail from Alabama.
