Buffalo wings. They’re a staple on sports bar menus across the country thanks to their delicious combination of fat and heat. But it’s interesting that their creation for something this popular may have been the result of a delivery error. (Although the exact history of Buffalo wings is up for debate.)
| Channel | Publish Date | Thumbnail & View Count | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
 The Boys | 2022-10-29 13:00:15 |  10,401,823 Views |
The Boy Truth or Hot Wings
What is certain is that the idea of deep-frying chicken wings covering them in a buttery vinegary hot sauce and serving them with blue cheese dressing (and sometimes raw celery and carrots) dates back to the 1960s in Buffalo New York — hence the name. A dive bar called the Anchor Bar is often credited with their creation and specifically one of its owners Teressa Bellissimo. The story goes that in 1964 the bar accidentally received a shipment of chicken wings that were supposed to be necks or other parts used in a spaghetti sauce. At the time deep-fried wings weren’t really a thing. Wings were pretty unpopular and were mostly used in things like broth. Bellissimo didn’t want to go that route so he deep-fried them covered them in sauce and boom — Buffalo wings were born. There are a few unanswered questions in this story though. For example it’s not clear why Bellissimo decided to split the wings in half or why specific ingredients like hot sauce were used. Still the idea that it was a happy mistake is a well-known story about the origins of Buffalo wings.
There is another version of the Anchor Bar story. The idea that Buffalo wings were the result of a mistake came from Teressa Bellissimo’s husband Frank but their son Dominic has a different take on the matter. He agrees that Teressa came up with the idea but the context was different. Dominic was bartending late at night and had friends who wanted a snack. So Teressa improvised with wings hot sauce and blue cheese and Buffalo wings were the result. In this story it is a little clearer why these specific ingredients were used. It was late at night and Teressa was just working with what was on hand. In this version the wings were not a random supply; they were simply leftovers. Again since chicken wings were not popular at the time they were not really eaten on their own as a snack.
Regardless of which story is correct Buffalo wings weren't an overnight success. It wasn't until the 1970s that many other bars in Buffalo began serving a version of the dish. In the 1980s they began to fly around the country and became the sports bar they are today.
