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How did Buffalo wings get their name?
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Plate of Buffalo wings coated in bright orange spicy sauce, served with celery sticks and a side of blue cheese dipping sauce.
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Plate of Buffalo wings coated in bright orange spicy sauce, served with celery sticks and a side of blue cheese dipping sauce.
Buffalo wings The name Buffalo wings refers to a dish of chicken wings coated in a vinegar-and-cayenne hot pepper sauce mixed with butter.

How did Buffalo wings get their name?

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Buffalo wings refer to a famous variety of chicken wings tossed in a spicy sauce named for the city of Buffalo, New York, where the dish is believed to have been invented. The traditional recipe for the dish involves deep-frying chicken wings and tossing them in butter and the special sauce. The wings are generally served with celery and a blue cheese dipping sauce.

Although deep-fried chicken wings may have been on restaurant menus since as far back as the mid-1800s, the “Buffalo” style of serving the snack is believed to have originated during the 1960s, when an establishment in Buffalo named the Anchor Bar began serving unbreaded, deep-fried wings tossed in a peppery hot sauce. About the same time, another restaurant, Wings and Things, also became known for serving a similar dish of fried chicken wings tossed in a special “mumbo” (sometimes spelled “mambo” or “mombo”) sauce. By 1980, many restaurants in the city had added “Buffalo” wings to their menus. A few years later Buffalo-style wings had become a popular dish in restaurants in cities across the United States.

Buffalo wings are one of the most popular varieties of chicken wings in the country today and have become a staple bar food and appetizer in American cuisine. In particular, the dish has become the snack of choice while watching football games such as the Super Bowl. Its popularity has led to various adaptations and applications of Buffalo sauce, including being used to flavor pizza, hamburgers, and various snack foods.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Tushaar Kuthiala.