Study: A third of Americans say boneless chicken should not be considered wings

The average amount of chicken wings eaten in a sitting has doubled in the past two years, according to new research. A 2017 survey of 2,000 American chicken wing eaters was compared to a brand new survey about wing preferences and eating habits and revealed the country has gotten hungrier. Not only are people licking their lips for more chicken wings, respondents are now preferring to make their own. Cooks better get ready for the big game this year, since those who plan eating wings during the Super Bowl, the average person will eat nine. In 2017, 59 percent of those who had eaten chicken wings got theirs from a restaurant; two years later, restaurants have been bumped to the number two spot (37 percent), making wings at home now the top choice with 38 percent. The surveys on wing preferences and eating habits were conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Moore's Marinades & Sauces and attempted to end a serious controversy: should boneless wings count as wings? The majority of respondents (53 percent) think boneless wings should properly count as "wings." The debate still rages on though, as a third (34 percent) don't think boneless have a place in the wings category. Besides bone preferences, how do the wing masters cook in the kitchen? Nearly six in ten (58 percent) prefer to fry their wings while 45 percent would char them on the grill, and 35 percent want them baked to a crisp. It's not just about the cooking method — when asked what makes up the perfect wing, the number one answer was extra sauce. Tender meat and crispy texture rounded out the top three. Salad was deemed the best accompaniment to wings, followed by chips and salsa (38 percent), and mozzarella sticks (35 percent). The classic sides of celery sticks or carrots were only preferred by 33 and 35 percent. The Chef de Cuisine at Moore's Marinades & Sauces said, "We're obsessed with wings here at Moore's, and I'm thrilled to see the craze is spreading! Seeing the increase in chicken wing consumption comes as no surprise when you consider them as the ultimate party food. There's often a sense of community that comes with sharing a plate of wings, be it at a bar, at home watching the game or, for the bold, on a date." Wing aficionados like to heat things up since 36 percent like their wings "very spicy." A quarter of respondents don't shy away from spice and proclaim they can handle "a lot" of it, but it doesn't seem like their love of heat measures up with their knowledge of it. Only 40 percent properly identified a Scoville as a measurement of pungency of chili peppers and other sorts of spicy foods. Thirty percent misidentified a Scoville as a variety of pepper, while 12 percent thought it was a town in Louisiana. The Chef de Cuisine for Moore's Marinades & Sauces added, "What we love about chicken wings are their versatility. Whether you prefer spicy and crispy or baked and savory, there's nothing more fun than bonding with the people you love over good food. We at Moore's live to make sure every chicken wing experience is a winner."