Chicken Nuggets Were Born From War Time Rationing

In 2018, 2.3 billion orders for chicken nuggets were placed by Americans. That excludes the nuggets people purchase from supermarkets and the nuggets they eat in any of the other 194 nations on the planet. As a result, a lot of nuggets are consumed worldwide. If you're a fan, please give Robert C. Baker your gratitude.

At Cornell University, Baker taught food science at a time when American food culture was changing as a result of World War II. Chicken was the only protein that was not rationed during the war when food was scarce. Americans were therefore engulfed in chicken for years. Chicken sales fell sharply after the rationing was lifted. People had had enough of it. They had been eating it for years, but making it was difficult.

It was time-consuming to butcher or prepare it because it was often sold as a whole chicken. To make chicken fresh and fascinating, Baker came up with a variety of ways to prepare and handle it. One of such concepts was nuggets. They utilised beef that could withstand freezing and frying and was frequently squandered in any case. It revitalised the poultry sector and saved a tonne of money and time.

Baker chose not to patent the concept on his end. He wanted it to be spread. As a result, other businesses were able to produce their own, and chicken nuggets saw a major renaissance during the 1970s campaign against red meat.