essay

When the term chicken is mentioned, some will picture a pet while others think of it as a meal. People usually consume chicken in its natural form as meat or chicken products such as eggs. Chicken meat is considered as white meat, therefore, considered to be of high nutrition value and healthy. In fact, it is pleasing to some vegetarians. Of the chicken parts widely eaten, chicken feet are the least desirable. In fact, chicken feet are thrown away as waste. This paper argues the use of chicken feet as a meal. Koreans enjoy a delicacy of chicken feet, known as dakbal, owing to its great taste and health benefits.

Preparation is very crucial for such a delicacy. Koreans have various ways of preparing and serving chicken feet. Chicken feet are tough and leathery, therefore, requiring more time to prepare (Zenkimchi 101). To remove the inedible claws and leathery skin, chicken feet have to be soaked in hot water. Some people debone the chicken feet before cooking them. Due to the work that goes into preparing chicken feet, they are usually cooked separately from the rest of the chicken. It is from this process that people argue: why go through so much just to enjoy so little flesh compared to other chicken parts while others find the feet more delicious due to the extra effort put in. Are there any nutrition benefits to enjoy from chicken feet? Nutrition value is the number one factor to consider nowadays for any meal. The most nutritious part of a chicken is considered to be the breast. Furthermore, chicken breast has a lot of lean meat and few bones soft enough to chew. Koreans have however linked with chicken feet with a number of health benefits. Among the benefits is the high amount of collagen. Collagen is a form of protein that improves the growth of skin, hair and nails (Hashim et al. 68). Human body joints also require collagen to properly function, especially during old age. Despite the nutrition value in chicken feet, some people still won’t consume them, arguing that other chicken parts offer equal nutrients.

Taste is very crucial when it comes to food. Most paper, if not everyone, would rather have nothing rather than have a nasty tasting meal. For this reason, Koreans have identified a way of transforming chicken feet from leathery and tough into tender, gelatinous and tasty. One way of achieving such a flavourful packed dish is by frying, braising and simmering in sauce (Zenkimchi 45). Despite chicken feet being considered as only for those who enjoy cartilage, skin and bones, with the preferred taste on them, they become edible and palatable almost for anyone. Other chicken parts can as well be cooked into the desired taste, therefore, leaving chicken feet still undesirable. How readily available are the chicken feet? Chicken is still beyond the risk of extinction. In fact, the chicken population is known to be more than the human population in the earth. Sourcing for chicken feet should, therefore, not be a challenge. The same way that breasts, wings, drumsticks, and steaks among other chicken parts are available in the market, chicken breasts are also readily available. Due to their low demand, compared to other chicken parts, chicken feet are sold at a lower price. The low prices are also an incentive to encourage consumption of this delicacy. Therefore, one should not fail to enjoy chicken on their plates.

Cultural and religious beliefs influence chicken feet consumption. To gain popularity, chicken feet preparation should adhere to all customs and religious beliefs. To encourage chicken feet consumption among the Muslims, a halal chicken slaughterhouse has been established in Korea (Google: Atlas Obscura). Due to the way halal is prepared, not only Muslims find it appealing but also non-Muslims. With the halal chicken slaughterhouse established, people from different cultural backgrounds get to visit the place for various chicken delicacies including chicken feet. In some cultural setups, chicken feet are associated with witchcraft. However, with no evidence to support such a belief, it should not stop one from enjoying the chicken feet delicacy. How organic are the chicken and chicken products in the market? The ever-growing human population has driven up demand for food, pushing for the production and sale of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Chicken has as well not been spared as not all chicken are bred organically. Korea has allowed for selected GMOs products, of which chicken is not among them (Hasim et al. 115). However, despite the government’s efforts to keep off GMOs off the market shelves, most consumers have resorted to backyard chicken farming. This type of farming has limited the consumption of chicken feet. Where only one chicken is slaughtered, it is cumbersome to prepare a single pair of feet alone separately.

Chicken skin is known to have high cholesterol content. Cholesterol is fat that pauses as a health hazard if consumed in high amounts. Chicken feet are, however, covered in cholesterol-free skin. Chicken feet are leathery in appearance. For this reason, more chicken feet should be consumed especially by those seeking to avoid cholesterol but still want to have a taste of chicken in their food. However, one would argue that to satisfy their craving for chicken, it would require a lot of chicken feet. There is little flesh on chicken feet compared to other parts. Furthermore, chicken skin can be removed prior to cooking, thus minimizing the cholesterol content. Can everyone enjoy the chicken feet? Chicken feet can be served to anyone with a variety of other foods. In Korea, chicken feet are commonly, but not limited to, served with rice and vegetable. Such a combination provides for a balanced diet. Chicken feet can be deboned before cooking allowing one to enjoy the flesh only. Elsesy et al. (99) state that deboning is very much encouraged especially when serving the delicacy to kids. The kids don’t have to worry about the bones hurting their mouth. Also, kids will not willingly eat chicken feet due to their appearance. Deboning is also encouraged for those who don’t like skin, bones and cartilages.

Who can afford chicken feet? Among the various ethnic groups, chicken feet are linked with low- income groups. Why eat chicken feet when one can afford other parts of the chicken? However, due to their complexity in preparation, chicken feet have turned out to be a high-end market meal. Also, it does require expertise when preparing so as to bring out the flavor in them and make them desirable. Chicken feet are, therefore, highly priced making most people shy away from buying them. However, small businesses are preparing them for affordable prices, though the same flavor may not be achieved as that in the high-end markets. People are seeking to enjoy rare and weird delicacies. Chon et al. (120) argue that chicken feet are facing competition from other delicacies such as pigs’ feet and the tongue. People will go for the most appealing livestock body part. Also, other parts have more flesh than the feet which are mostly bony. However, due to the weird nature of these delicacies, one might prefer a smaller portion, especially if trying it for the first time. Having a small portion minimizes wastage in case one does not like the delicacy. Most of these delicacies are, however, served in their complete form. Chicken feet are, therefore, most preferable due to their small size.

How safe are the chicken and chicken products for consumption? To reduce chicken mortality when rearing them, farmers are required to inject the chicken with a number of vaccines. Some farmers also inject the chicken with growth hormones to accelerate their growth rate. The broiler chicken breed is the one affected largely by injection of the growth hormones. Once the drugs are injected into the chicken they are absorbed by every cell in the body including those in the feet. Eventually, these substances find their way in the human body once the chicken is consumed. The government needs to constantly test and verify the safety of the drugs being used. Chicken feet can be associated with a number of economic benefits. Individuals rearing chicken for commercial purposes are enjoying a wider market. Also, outlets for selling chicken and chicken products are opening up across the country. People are being employed on the farms as well as the outlets. All these people working in the chicken industry are earning income which has helped to improve their living standards. The government also earns revenue from taxing those involved in the chicken industry. Chicken feet by themselves cannot sustain the entire industry but their continued consumption will help expand the industry. Chicken feet have also aided in minimizing waste realized from slaughtering chicken. Comment by Vince Granata: Haven’t yet transitioned from the points your making about potential health dangers. Unclear to the reader if chicken feet are more or less dangerous to consume? Comment by Vince Granata: Organization of these economic points is a bit scattered in this paper as you jump to some economic observations in three different body paragraphs.

Considering the provided benefits associated with chicken feet, including healthy food source, improving creativity through new cooking methods, economic benefits, and a means of reducing waste among others, would you still not eat them? Arguably, chicken feet are not the best source of food, but it is worth having on your plate. When well prepared it has proven to be a delicacy worth whetting one’s appetite on sight, despite being undesirable. The delicacy as well provides a sense of prestige, due to its rare and weird nature as a meal. For people seeking to unlock new levels of being thrilled, chicken feet is the way to go.

Works Cited