The history of chicken as a food
Chicken has been a part of the human diet for thousands of years. The domestication of the chicken most likely first occurred over 8,000 years ago in Southeast Asia. From there, chickens spread across the world as a source of food.
In early societies, chickens were likely kept for both their meat and eggs. However, up through Medieval times in Europe, chicken was considered a rare delicacy and was served primarily on special occasions. Common folk at the time rarely ate chicken meat.
It wasn’t until the 20th century that chicken became more widely available as a meat source. Advances in farming, selective breeding, nutrition, and processing technologies enabled the rise of commercial chicken production on a large scale.
So while chicken as a food source dates back millennia, mass consumption of chicken meat is a surprisingly recent phenomenon. Let’s take a closer look at some key points in the history of chicken meat.
Ancient origins
The chicken is descended from wild jungle fowl that humans first domesticated in Southeast Asia at least 8,000 years ago. The earliest archaeological evidence of chickens being kept by humans has been found in China, dating back over 5,400 years.
These early domesticated chickens were mainly used for cockfighting and religious sacrifice. But they also provided a source of meat and eggs. Chicken bones have been discovered in ancient Chinese tombs and other archaeological sites, indicating they were eaten.
From Asia, chickens spread to ancient Greece and Rome. In Greek and Roman cuisine, chicken remained a delicacy reserved for the upper classes. Common people at the time rarely had access to chicken meat.
The Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages in Europe, the chicken retained its status as a luxury food item. Nobility and the wealthy could afford to eat chicken, but for peasant farmers it was too valuable to regularly slaughter for meat.
Chickens had more value alive by providing a continuous supply of eggs. And they weren’t very meaty back then anyway. The domestic chickens of the Middle Ages descended from smaller wild fowl and had much scrawnier bodies compared to modern broiler chickens bred specifically for meat.
There are a few instances of commoners eating chicken recorded in Medieval literature and documents. But these were likely special occasions such as religious holidays. Chicken was also sometimes consumed for its perceived medicinal qualities.
So up through the Late Middle Ages in the 15th century, chicken remained a rare delicacy across most of Europe. Poultry at the time was fattier waterfowl like geese and ducks, which were more affordable.
The Renaissance
During the Renaissance period from the 14th to 17th centuries, chickens became somewhat more common in the diets of European peasants and commoners.
Improvements in agriculture led to increased production of grains such as wheat and barley. This allowed farmers to better feed and raise chickens. Literacy also improved, leading to more books disseminating knowledge on farming practices.
Still, for most people chicken was eaten infrequently and was a treat. Published recipes from Renaissance-era cookbooks confirm that chicken dishes were elaborate preparations reserved for wealthy households.
By the 1600s, chickens were widespread throughout Europe and more accessible. But they were kept primarily for their eggs. Rural households that could afford chickens rarely slaughtered them for meat.
The 18th and 19th centuries
It wasn’t until the 18th century that chicken really started becoming an affordable and available meat source, at least for middle-class families. A few key developments drove this change.
Urbanization and industrialization increased the demand for cheap protein to feed city-dwellers in Europe. New breeding techniques produced larger chickens with more breast meat. And the American colonies became a major producer of chickens.
By the mid-1800s, chicken remained expensive but was no longer just a food for the wealthy. Continued selective breeding further increased the size and meat yield of chickens. The growing railroads enabled the transport of chickens from farms to cities.
Still, chicken was usually reserved for Sunday dinners and special occasions for working-class families. Salted pork and beef still comprised most of their affordable protein. Daily chicken consumption was not yet commonplace.
The early 20th century
At the turn of the 20th century, chicken meat was becoming cheaper and more regularly consumed by average American and European families.
Several technological innovations drove down costs while increasing production, including:
- Gas incubators for hatching chicks
- Brooder stoves for raising chicks
- Mechanized feeders and waterers
- Refrigerated transport
- Pharmaceuticals and vaccines
The growing middle class could now afford to buy chicken from their local butcher shop or market. Plus, recipes for fried chicken were becoming popular.
World War I and II further spurred production and consumption of chicken, since red meats were rationed for soldiers. By the 1950s, chicken overtook beef as the most consumed meat in the U.S. But it was still mostly purchased as whole birds, not packaged parts.
Factory farming
In the 1960s came the real boom in cheap and plentiful chicken made widely available year-round.
Intensive breeding programs generated the Cornish Cross breed, engineered specifically for meat yield. Chickens could be raised in climate-controlled barns by the tens of thousands. Processing became automated with assembly lines.
Vertical integration allowed a few large companies to control every stage from hatching to slaughter to marketing. Individual chicken pieces could now be neatly packaged for consumers to purchase.
By the 1980s, factory farmed chicken surpassed pork as the #1 protein consumed in America. Per capita chicken consumption tripled between 1960 to 2018, to over 90 lbs per person per year.
While certainly making chicken more affordable and abundant, factory farming also introduced several downsides in terms of environmental impact, animal welfare, and nutrition. But it achieved its goal of turning chicken into an everyday commodity.
Chicken through history
| Era | Chicken Consumption |
|---|---|
| Ancient – 1000 BCE | Rare delicacy for nobility |
| 1000 BCE – 500 CE | Occasional meat source |
| 500 – 1400 CE | Special occasion food for wealthy |
| 1400 – 1700 CE | Becoming more common but still a treat |
| 1700 – 1850 CE | Affordable for middle class |
| 1850 – 1950 CE | Regularly consumed but not yet daily |
| 1950 – present | Abundant, cheap, eaten daily |
Conclusion
While domesticated chickens have been around for thousands of years, chicken meat only became widely available, inexpensive, and routinely consumed within the last century.
A combination of selective breeding, mechanization, and industrial farming enabled chicken to transform from luxury food item to everyday commodity. Advances in technology allowed chicken production and processing to scale dramatically.
The result was chicken becoming the most popular meat globally, afforded and eaten regularly across all income levels. While we may take it for granted today, the ubiquitous availability of chicken meat is actually a surprisingly recent development in human history.
