Buffalo chicken wings are very popular all over the world. The chicken part of the name is understandable, the Buffalo part less so. But don't worry, the chefs didn't sneak tiny buffalo wings into the chicken, it's just that the city of Buffalo is the birthplace of one of our favourite winged foods.

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Buffalo that doesn't fly, but is at least tasty

So there are no flying buffaloes, unique flavours all the more. In the US, breaded chicken wings are called buffalo, but in our country they are often covered with a skin. There is no secret recipe, it is quick and easy to prepare, and its uniqueness comes from a special sauce that is added to the wings before serving. Some restaurants do not put the sauce on the wings, but serve it as a dipping sauce.

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How the Buffalo chicken took flight

There are many origin stories about buffalo wings. Perhaps the most credible is the story of the Bellissimo couple who served the first „sauce” chicken wings at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo back in 1964. Even then, chicken was considered cheap, even by the working class too popular. That's when the Bellissimos decided to dip the boring wings in a delicious sauce after frying and serve them to their guests. It was a great success, with 7 out of 10 guests asking for the „wings with sauce” to go with their beer.

Buffalo wings became popular in the 1970s and 1980s, mainly as a bar food and appetizer in America and later in Canada. Its international recognition is due to the fact that Buffalo wings have been adopted by major American franchises in their European restaurants. And McDonald's began selling Mighty Wings in its restaurants in the United States in 1990. In 1994, the pizza chain Domino's added Buffalo wings to its national menu, and the following year Pizza Hut introduced the with its own version.

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The buffalo wing has outdone itself

Buffalo wings are now the meatballs of the United States. They are becoming increasingly popular in households, bakeries and the most prestigious restaurant chains. Some of the latter offer Buffalo wings almost exclusively. Not surprisingly, this easy-to-prepare dish is made all over the world, with twists and turns. So successful has it become that the name Buffalo has taken on a life of its own. Nowadays, other meat dishes that are served with a dipping sauce are also called Buffalo. Buffalo style sauce, or „buffalo flavoured seasoning”, has a name in itself and is used mainly in street food to accompany a variety of meats.

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The secret to real Buffalo sauce

The sauce was originally made up of a vinegar-based cayenne pepper hot sauce and melted butter. Traditionally served warm with celery and carrot sticks, blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing

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How to make „10 fingers lick” sauce for your Buffalo

Ingredients: 100g melted butter, 80g chili sauce, tomato paste, 3 tablespoons vinegar, 3-4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, ground garlic.

Preparation: once the butter has melted, add the chilli sauce and stir over a low heat for 5-10 minutes. Add the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Stir the resulting sauce for 2-3 minutes. Then you can add the garlic and, if you prefer a spicier flavour, a little lemon juice. After a little simmering, the sauce is ready and you can spread it on the chicken wings while still warm. If you leave the sauce to cool, it may clump together.

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