Adventures through Chinatown

Chicken feet, also known as “phoenix talons,” are commonly found at most dim sum restaurants and are typically deep fried

On Saturday, amongst another adventurous journey into another district of San Francisco, I came across my first ever encounter with chicken feet. They were fried and soaked in a … delicious sauce, displayed on a white plate, and just sitting there, staring me down. I’ve always been an adventurous eater who loves all food, after all, I wouldn’t be nicknamed ‘meatball’ as a child if I didn’t. I’ve tried everything from Alligator to fish eyes, but surprisingly, on Saturday, I think I found the only food that couldn’t excite me, chicken feet. With that being said, I left china town extremely curious to find out more.

Nutrition Facts Chicken Feet
Serving Size: 100 g

Amount per Serving
Calories 215 Calories from Fat 131
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15g	23%
Saturated Fat 4g	20%
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 84mg	28%
Sodium 67mg	3%
Total Carbohydrate 0g	0%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Protein 19g	38%

Vitamin A	2%
Calcium	9%
Iron	5%
Thiamin (B1)	4%
Riboflavin (B2)	12%
Niacin (B3)	12%
Vitamin B12	8%
Magnesium	1%
Zinc	5%
Copper	5%

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Est. Percent of Calories from:

Fat 62.8% Carbs 0.0%

Protein 35.3%

…And in case you were curious, here is a tasty treat you can create for yourself!

Ingredients

• 12 chicken feet, declawed and skinned
• 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine
• 3 slices ginger
• 3 green onions
• 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• star anise
• 1 piece orange rind
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pint water

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

It was not until I actually googled chicken feet that I realized they are eaten all over the world by many different people. I even yelped chicken feet and found 1402 entries just in San Francisco. But researching chicken feet, watching my classmates eat the chicken foot, and being around chicken feet still haven't convinced me to try them. I’m sure it is mostly mental, but chicken don’t wear socks, they don’t wear shoes, and they are still very human like even when smothered in sauce.

If you feel the same way, maybe this video will help to change YOUR mind…