Every country has their own special chicken dish. Some, even more than one. But each region of the world enjoys dining on this fowl and imprinting their territory’s identity into a dish best served and eaten with friends and family.
USA: Southern Fried Chicken
Who doesn’t think of nice, crispy and juicy fried chicken when thinking of the south? Dubbed as “soul food”, Southern food are hearty and oftentimes rich in fats, carbohydrates and oils.
Their fried chicken is no different. Usually cut at the joints with the skins left intact, their fried chicken can either be pan fried, deep fried or pressure fried. The exterior of each cut is breaded. The breading is a mixture of flour and various seasonings. When fried, the breading becomes crispy and adds that special crunch into every bite.
CHINA: Crispy Fried Chicken
Unlike the American variant, the Cantonese fried chicken doesn’t make use of breading and is usually cooked whole. It’s a cultural staple in special occasions such as weddings and birthdays.
The chicken dish is usually served with a dipping dish with pepper-salt and a handful of prawn crackers. Its white meat is very tender while the skin is cooked until it’s crispy. Cooking it in a wok at higher temperature that the Southern Fried Chicken makes the difference in texture. The skin is made more crisp than crunchy.
PHILIPPINES: Adobo
In the Philippines, every household is bound to have someone who can cook Adobo. Simply put, Adobo is chicken stewed in soy sauce and vinegar. While each region in the Philippines has its own spin on the famous dish, there’s no doubt it is a unifying factor for all Filipinos
Adobo is such an important national dish that Filipinos who have immigrated to other countries still crave for it. Whether it’s stewed in soy sauce, green mango or coconut milk, Adobo will still be Adobo for a Filipino.
