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Chicken Origin and Varieties
According to Charles Darwin's Monophyletic Theory (tracing to a single ancestor), The 'Red Jungle Fowl' of India is the sole ancestor of all the domestic chicken in the world. Seals have been found in Mohenjodro and Harappa dating back 2500-2100 BC depicting fighting cocks. Clay figurines were also found of a cock and a hen.
I love old folklores and can not resist this one. According to a legend, there was a Goddess Kamakhya who created a demon named Kesi out of her own flesh. The demon fell in love with the Goddess and asked her to marry him, otherwise he would cause total destruction. Goddess made a deal with the demon that he would build a temple overnight before the dawn, if successful, she would marry him else he would be vanished. The demon agreed and went to build the temple brick by brick. Just before dawn, the Goddess went to check the progress. To her amazement, the temple was near completion. She called her trusted fowl friend for help. The fowl waited just before the completion, and gave a full throated crow declaring that dawn has arrived. The demon lost and was vanished. This temple remains as one of the holy sites in Gauhati, Assam. One more interesting aspect of the story, there is an annual festival held at this temple to commemorate the menstruation cycle of the Goddess. The temple is closed for three days, and when every thing is decorated in red color to signify the menstruation discharge. The food consumed consists of chicken (in memory of the Goddess's friend) and rice. I think this is the only temple in the world of any religion that celebrates a menstruation period of a woman.
The chicken is called Murgh or Murghi (Hindi), Kukkur (Rajasthan), and Kukuth (Sanskrit). The cock is called Murgha (Hindi), Kukkra (Rajasthan), and Kuktha (Sanskrit). Squab (young small chicken) is called Chooza.
It is sad that India, a country that gave the first chicken to the world, is now an importer of chicken.
I cant leave this page without raising the age old question: "What came first, chicken or the egg?". The answer is egg came first. Chickens are hatched, not born in the truest sense of the word.
Grading
USDA grades chicken as classification of A, B, C. Highest grade is "A" representing, younger tender and more usable meat.
Type |
Description |
Age months |
Weight Pounds |
Main Uses |
| Squab Chicken | Small chicken | 1 - 1½ | ¾ - 1 lb | Murgh Mussalam Tandoori Chooza |
| Broiler | Young chicken | 2 -3 | 1½ - 2½ | Curry |
| Fryer | Older chickens | 3-5 | 2 -3 | Marinated Tandoori |
| Roaster | Fatty chicken | 3 -5 | 2 -3 | Marinated Tandoori |
| Capon | Fatty Castrated male. | 7 - 10 | 4 - 10 | Karahi |
| Old Hen, Cock | Older hen or rooster | over 12 | over 3 lbs. | curry long cooking |
| Stewing chicken | Older large chicken | 10 -12 | over 3 lbs. | Curry long cooking |
What is Cornish hen?
In United States, breast is the most prized part of the chicken. Cornish hen was originally developed in Cornwall, UK through cross breeding This Cornish hen too long to mature. During mid 1960s, United States developed its own version of Cornish hen through cross breeding, that matures same as regular chicken. Cornish hen is sold as Broiler. It has larger breast, and smaller drum sticks.
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