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Chicken as a popular food source is nearly as old as recorded history itself. First domesticated around 2000 B.C. in India, early chicken eaters were also found in China and Babylon. Brought to the U.S. by Columbus, the early colonists first bred chickens more for their eggs than their meat. Easy to breed and care for, and easy to digest, chicken has become an American staple.

Chicken provides the necessary protein component needed in our daily diets. Lower in fat, calories (especially when you take the skin off) and cost than any other meat, chicken is also a good source of magnesium and potassium. Its versatility, lending itself to many varieties, cuts and tastes enables people to enjoy variety even while eating the same bird.

The modern supermarket offers many different types of chicken in many different cuts ñ whole chickens, cut up chickens, breasts, fillets, legs, wings and thighs not only allow us to eat our favorite parts, but to add variety to our diet by simply choosing white over dark meat or vice versa. Chicken can also often be cooked in 30 minutes or less for those of us who have little time to spend in the kitchen.

Types of Chicken

• Broilers-Fryers are specifically bred for eating. They are young chickens, seven to ten weeks old. Weighing from 1 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds, they are a tender choice and good for broiling, roasting or frying.
• Roasters are slightly older than broilers-fryers at three to five months old and weigh from five to seven pounds.
• Capons are young, castrated roosters weighing from five to seven pounds. They are richly flavored, have a higher fat content and will yield more meat. Their age can range anywhere form 16 weeks to 8 months.
• Rock Cornish Game Hens are small broiler-fryers than weigh between one and two pounds. Originally bred in Connecticut in 1950 for foodies, it is usually stuffed and roasted whole, then served whole or as a half bird.
• Stewing or Baking Hens are a much more mature bird of ten months to a year and a half. Since its meat is less tender, it is best used in stews, stocks and soups. Slow cooking in a crockpot is also an excellent way to cook these birds.

All chicken is inspected by the USDA to ensure it is healthy for consumption. As with most perishable meat, bacteria multiplies quickly at temperatures between 40 F and 140 F, so safe handling precautions should always be used.