National Fried Chicken Day is an annual holiday celebrated on July 6^th that honors the dish brought to the United States by Scottish and West African immigrants. It has since become one of America’s favorite comfort foods. In the U.S. alone, over 8 million chickens are consumed, and it’s a pretty good bet that many of these chickens are breaded and deep-fried.

The History of Fried Chicken

While it’s often debated whether fried chicken came to the United States via Scottish immigrants or West African immigrants, the truth is that it emerged from both traditions. Scottish immigrants had a tradition of frying unseasoned chicken in animal fat. West African slaves had a tradition of frying seasoned chicken, but they did not use animal fat; instead, they used palm oil. It was in the American South that the two traditions fused together to create what is now known as modern Southern fried chicken. Before the invention of refrigeration, frying chicken was a good way to preserve it, as it “traveled well.” This is one of the reasons why Southern fried chicken has remained popular for so many years.

Celebrating National Fried Chicken Day

If you’re a fan of fried chicken and want to celebrate National Fried Chicken Day, you have a couple of options. You can visit your favorite chicken restaurant to see if they have any fried chicken deals on this day—many do. Alternatively, if you’re more hands-on, you can cook up a batch of your own fried chicken.

Conclusion

National Fried Chicken Day is the perfect opportunity to enjoy your favorite fried chicken dish. And if you happen to be on social media, you can take pictures of your chicken and share them using the hashtag #NationalFriedChickenDay.