Chicken feet

Chicken feetare cooked and eaten in many countries.  After an outer layer of hard skin is removed, most of the edibletissueon the feet consists of skin andtendons, with nomuscle. This gives the feet a distinctgelatinoustexture different from the rest of thechicken meat.
Chicken feet are used in several regional Chinese cuisines; they can be served as a beer snack, cold dish, soup or main dish. They are interchangeably calledFèng zhǎo(鳯爪, phoenix claws),Jī zhǎo(鷄爪, chicken claws), andJī jiǎo(雞脚, chicken feet).
InGuangdongandHong Kong,they are typically deep fried and steamed first to make them puffy before beingstewedandsimmeredin a sauce flavoured with black fermentedbeans,bean paste, and sugar;or in abalone sauce.
In mainland China, popular snack bars specializing in marinated food such asyabozi(duck's necks) also selllu ji zhua(鹵雞爪, marinated chicken feet), which are simmered with soy sauce,Sichuanese peppercorn,clove, garlic,star anise,cinnamon, and chili flakes. Today, packaged chicken feet are sold in most grocery stores and supermarkets in China as a snack, often seasoned with rice vinegar and chili. Another popular recipe isbai yun feng zhao(白雲鳯爪), which is marinated in a sauce of rice vinegar, rice wine flavored with sugar, salt, and minced ginger for an extended period and served as a cold dish. In southern China, they also cook chicken feet with raw peanuts to make a thin soup.
The huge demand in China raises the price of chicken feet, which are often used as fodder in other countries. As of June 2011, 1 kg of raw chicken feet costs around 12 to 16 yuan in China, compared to 11–12 yuan for 1 kg of frozen chicken breast. In 2000, Hong Kong, once the largestentrepôtfor shipping chicken feet from over 30 countries, traded a total of 420,000 tons of chicken feet at the value of US$230 million.Two years after joining theWTOin 2001, China approved the direct import of American chicken feet, and since then China has been the major destination of chicken feet from around the globe.
Aside from chicken feet,duckfeet are also popular.Duck feet withmustard, which is often served with vinegar, freshgreen pepper, and crushed garlic, is a popularsalad/appetizer.
InRussia,Ukraine,Romania,andMoldova,chicken feet are cleaned, seasoned, and boiled, often with vegetables, and then cooled, to make anaspiccalledkholodetsin Russian and Ukrainian, andpiftieorrăciturăin Romanian. The legs are not always eaten, however, the chicken is cooked with its legs, as they contain a high amount ofgelatin.
InIndonesian cuisine, chicken feet are known asceker, and it is a common popular delicacy inIndonesia, especially inJava. The most common way to serve chicken feet in Indonesia is in a spicy traditional soup calledsoto, nevertheless, the Chinese styledimsumchicken feet are also available in some Chinese restaurants in Indonesia.Soto cekeris chicken foot served in rather clear yellowish spicysotobroth soup, which uses spices including groundshallot, garlic,galangal, ginger,candlenut, bruisedlemongrass,daun salam(Indonesian bay leaf) andturmericthat add the yellowish color, served with cabbage, celery, rice noodles, and garnished to taste withsambal, lime and soy.
Soto cekeris one of the popularstreet foodsin Jakarta, Bali, Surabaya, Bandung, and most of the major cities in Indonesia. In street-sidewarungor humble restaurants,soto cekeris usually offered as a variation of popularsoto ayam(chicken soto), which employs the identical soup base with chicken soto. A popularsoto cekerstall such as Soto Ceker Pak Ali in Gandaria Street, South Jakarta, can use up to 40 kilograms of chicken feet every day, although the stall is only open from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., and can reap Rp 5 million (US$360) in sales each day.
Another popular way to prepare chicken feet is serving it in a simple soup (soporsup) calledsop ceker, which mainly contains chicken broth, chicken feet, vegetables, especially potato and carrot, shallot, garlic, and black pepper. The deep-fried peeled chicken feet, which have been separated from their bones, might be served as a crispy snack treats askripikceker(chicken feet crackers).
In Indonesia, soft peeled boneless chicken feet are a popular choice forbaby food— given to babies between 6 and 12 months old. It is often served asnasi tim: steamed rice with boneless chicken feet, mashed liver, and vegetable broth.Chicken feet which consist of tendons, skin, and cartilage, are rich in gelatinouscollagen, and are traditionally believed to be beneficial for infants' skin, nails, joints, and bone development.
In Jamaican cuisine, chicken feet are mainly used to make chicken foot soup.The soup containsyams, potatoes, green bananas,dumplings, and special spices in addition to the chicken feet, and is slow-cooked for a minimum of two hours. Chicken feet are also curried or stewed and served as a main part of a meal.
In Kenyan cuisine, chicken feet are known as Virenjee and it is a common delicacy in Kenya. The feet are submerged in hot water so the outer skin can be removed by peeling it off. Then the legs are covered with seasonings and grilled
In Korea, chicken feet are known asdakbal(닭발), and grilled or stir-fried with hot chili sauce. There are many types of cooking methods, including bone-free, cooked with soup, and so on. They are often eaten asanju(food served with alcohol).
Chicken feet are commonly used as a main or supplementary ingredient inkosherchicken soup.
Chicken feet are also known ascekerinMalaysiaand are traditionally popular mostly amongMalaysofJavanese, Chinese, andSiamesedescent.  Many traditional Malay restaurants in the state ofJohoroffer chicken feet that are cooked together with Malay-style curry and eaten withroti canai. In the state ofSelangor, chicken feet are either boiled in soup until the bones are soft with vegetables and spices or deep fried inpalm oil. Chicken feet are also eaten byMalaysian Chinesein traditionalChinesecooking style.
Chicken feet (also known as “patitas”) are a popular ingredient across Mexico, particularly in stews and soups. They are often steamed to become part of a main dish with rice, vegetables, and most likely another part of the chicken, such as thebreastor thighs. The feet can be seasoned withmolesauce. On occasion, they are breaded and fried.
Many people will also take the chicken feet in hand as a snack and chew the soft outer skin, while the inner bone structure is left uneaten. Another such popular snack is chicken necks (also known as "pescuezos") that are usually sold by street vendors and accompanied with salsaValentina (hot sauce).
In Myanmar chicken feet are most commonly eaten in salads and soups.
In thePhilippines, chicken feet aremarinatedin a mixture ofcalamansi, spices, andbrown sugarbefore being grilled. A popular staple in Philippinestreet food, chicken feet are commonly known as "adidas" (named after the athletic shoe brandAdidas). Chicken feet is also an ingredient inPhilippine adobo.
InPortugal, chicken feet are popular in theAzores. Normally cooked into a fried rice with spices and olive oil or accompanied with a side of rice. It can be stewed with beans or made as a one pot dish. Cilantro is added in mainland Portugal for additional taste.
In South Africa, chicken feet are mainly eaten in townships in all nine provinces, where they are known as "walkie talkies" (together with the head, intestine, hearts and giblets), "runaways","chicken dust" and "Amanqina" (in isiXhosa)The feet are submerged in hot water, so the outer layer of the skin can be removed by peeling it off, and then covered in seasonings andgrilled. The name "chicken dust" derives from the dust chickens create when scratching the ground with their feet. They are often eaten as a snack.
In Thai cuisine, the chicken feet are served in a variety of dishes, such as in a version of chickengreen curry.
InTrinidad, the chicken feet are cleaned, seasoned, boiled in seasoned water, and left to soak with cucumbers, onions, peppers and green seasoning until cool. It is eaten as a party dish called chicken foot souse.