The best fried chicken across America

Plus, the country’s favorite fried chicken chains, recipes, and more                   [View on web]( When it came time to decide what dish or cuisine to explore for our next big feature ([as we did with Mexican Food a few years ago](), Eater editors, reporters, photographers, and beyond were nearly unanimous — and excited — to dive into the crispy-fried world of one of America’s favorite foods: fried chicken. We asked chef and food writer Amethyst Ganaway to expand on the cultural significance of a crispy bird, and she declares it “a dish that represents our past and our present as a country of immigrants and outsiders, and has been interpreted and reinterpreted time and time again.” Read on to explore Eater's deep dive on fried chicken, published today — its history, the endless varieties, and how it's celebrated across the country.   FRIED CHICKEN IS UTTERLY CRAVEABLE Illustration by Nat Belkov [The ultimate guide to the best fried chicken in America]( [From Hat Yai in Portland, to Detroit’s Pollo Chapin, to Willie Mae’s in New Orleans, these are the American experts in fried chicken.]( [Which chain makes the best fried chicken?]( [Welcome to Eater’s fast-food fried chicken bracket.]( [A four-ingredient fried chicken recipe with a story to tell]( Gullah Geechee cookbook author [Emily Meggett’s]( version of the Southern staple is an essential. FRIED CHICKEN IS OUR HISTORY Illustration by [Keisha Okafor]( [For generations of Black women, fried chicken meant financial freedom]( [For Black women in America — especially in Virginia — fried chicken has always been a lifeline.]( [Food, fame, and fried chicken]( [This episode of Gastropod]( looks at why everyone from Aretha Franklin to Mahalia Jackson opened fried chicken restaurants. [How theme parks use fried chicken to sell the American dream]( [Theme parks have long used fried chicken to evoke a sense of old-timey, wholesome Americana. But who, exactly, is this nostalgia really for?]( FRIED CHICKEN IS FOR EVERYONE Photo by Clay Williams [How fried chicken brings us together: five celebrations in photos]( [From Honolulu to Atlanta, when you need to feed a crowd, fried chicken is the answer.]( [A guide to some of Asia’s magnificent fried chicken styles]( [A technical (and abridged) guide to the crispy-fried delights of Japan, Thailand, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, and South Korea.]( [Indian fried chicken needs no reintroduction]( [How restaurants are showing off the full flavors of Indian fried chicken.]( FRIED CHICKEN IS EVERYWHERE Photo by [Kim Kovacik]( [Like literally, everywhere across the country]( From [a chicken wing destination at Atlanta’s hottest strip club](, to [the LA family golden-frying 50k birds each week](, to [why Houston is America’s modern fried chicken capital](, and maps to the best fried chicken — from NYC to Miami to Portland to Dallas and 20 cities in between.   [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   TODAY'S VIDEO [WATCH: HOW LA'S HONEY'S KETTLE HAS BEEN PERFECTING FRIED CHICKEN FOR 40 YEARS]( GIF: Carla Francescutti/Murilo Ferreira/Julia Hess/Christian Moreno [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](param=today). View our [Privacy Notice]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 11, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2022. All rights reserved.