Wing it

Of all the chicken 'parts', the wings make the best snack; witness their popularity on bar menus and at fast-food outlets. Wings are small and, because of their bones, beg to be picked up and munched out of the hand. Although that of the wings is technically white meat, it's moist and delicious, unlike the breast, which is relatively bland, dry and boring.

Chicken wings have skyrocketed in price, partly due to the popularity of buffalo wings. There are several stories about how the dish was created but it's widely accepted that buffalo wings first came into being in a bar in Buffalo, New York State.

When they're good, they're addictive. The fried wings are coated in a spicy sauce, which is balanced by a cooling blue-cheese dip and celery sticks. As with all good bar snacks, eating the wings makes diners thirsty.

For the chicken-wing lover, it's hard to find a bad version - even specimens sold at fast-food places can be good. When the two bones in the middle portion of the wing are removed, the cavity can be stuffed with everything from glutinous rice to mentaiko (spicy fish roe).

There are even haute-cuisine wings - stuffed with shark's fin, bird's nest or foie gras - which I've spotted on menus around town but never tried.