Definition
Buffalo wings (also called hot wings or chicken wings) are a dish consisting of unbreaded chicken wings that are deep-fried and then coated in a sauce made from cayenne pepper hot sauce and butter. They were invented in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, by Teressa Bellissimo, who created the dish as a late-night snack for her son and his friends. The wings are traditionally served with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing (not ranch, a point of contention among purists), and the heat level ranges from mild to “suicidal.” The dish has become a staple of American sports bar culture, a centerpiece of Super Bowl Sunday consumption, and a global export: Buffalo Wild Wings (founded in 1982) is one of the largest restaurant chains in the United States, and the annual National Buffalo Wing Festival draws tens of thousands of visitors to Buffalo each year.
Why It Matters
Buffalo wings matter because they are a case study in accidental culinary innovation. Teressa Bellissimo did not set out to create a global phenomenon; she used leftover chicken wings (then considered scrap meat, often discarded or used for stock) to feed her son’s friends. The dish’s rise from bar snack to cultural institution reflects broader American food trends: the valorization of formerly low-status ingredients (organ meats, offal, chicken wings), the fusion of immigrant cuisines (the hot sauce has Louisiana roots, the blue cheese dressing is Midwestern), and the commercialization of regional specialties into national brands. Buffalo wings also matter as a social ritual: they are eaten with the hands, shared communally, and consumed in contexts (sports bars, game nights, parties) that emphasize casual sociability over formal dining. The dish’s spiciness creates a shared physical experience — sweating, nose-running, water-gulping — that bonds eaters together. Economically, the Buffalo wing industry is massive: the National Chicken Council estimates that Americans eat approximately 1.4 billion chicken wings during Super Bowl weekend alone, and the wing market has grown so large that it influences chicken commodity prices.
Example
The original: Anchor Bar, Buffalo, New York, 1964. Teressa Bellissimo deep-fried wings and tossed them in a mixture of Frank’s RedHot sauce and butter — no breading, no batter, no complex recipe. The sauce adhered to the crispy skin, creating a spicy, buttery coating that balanced heat with richness. The modern sports bar: Buffalo Wild Wings (or B-Dubs), with over 1,000 locations, offers wings in dozens of sauces (Honey BBQ, Asian Zing, Parmesan Garlic, Mango Habanero) and sells them by the pound during sporting events. The restaurant is designed around television screens, beer, and communal consumption. The Super Bowl ritual: on the first Sunday of February, Americans consume approximately 1.4 billion wings — enough to circle the Earth three times if laid end-to-end. Delivery apps (DoorDash, Uber Eats) report that wing orders spike by 300% during the game. The regional variations: Buffalo wings have been adapted globally — in Korea, they are double-fried and coated in gochujang; in the UK, they are often served with ranch rather than blue cheese; in India, they are seasoned with tandoori spices. These variations demonstrate the dish’s adaptability and its capacity to absorb local flavors while retaining its core identity.
Internet Angle
On the internet, Buffalo wings are a subject of food discourse, brand marketing, and competitive eating. Instagram features endless wing content: #buffalowings has millions of posts, #wings has tens of millions. Food influencers review new wing flavors, compare restaurant chains, and develop homemade recipes with titles like “The Ultimate Crispy Buffalo Wing.” YouTube cooking channels (Binging with Babish, Joshua Weissman) feature wing tutorials with millions of views. Reddit’s r/hotsauce and r/wings host debates about the best hot sauce, the optimal frying temperature, and whether blue cheese or ranch is the correct dip. The internet has also facilitated wing competitions: the annual National Buffalo Wing Festival’s eating contest is livestreamed, with contestants consuming dozens of wings in minutes. Brand marketing is central: Buffalo Wild Wings, Wingstop, and regional chains maintain active social media presences that engage with sports culture, meme trends, and influencer partnerships. The internet has also enabled the rise of the “ghost kitchen” wing brand: delivery-only operations (often operating out of existing restaurant kitchens) that sell wings exclusively through apps, with names like Wing Squad and Wing Zone. Buffalo wings are not just food; they are internet-native content.
Related Terms
- Frank’s RedHot — The cayenne pepper sauce used in the original Buffalo wing recipe
- Blue cheese dressing — The traditional dip for Buffalo wings, preferred over ranch by purists
- Anchor Bar — The Buffalo restaurant where wings were invented in 1964
- Buffalo Wild Wings — The largest American wing restaurant chain
- Super Bowl — The annual event at which Americans consume the most wings