Did chicken taste better years ago?



Jason Quick wrote:
>
> "Arri London" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> >
> > Donna wrote:
> >>
> >> Is it just me, or does chicken today really not taste as good as it did,
> >> say, 30 years ago?
> >>
> >> Donna
> >
> > Easy experiment: get a supermarket chicken (with added 'solution',
> > hormones and antibiotics etc) [...]
>
> The use of hormones in poultry production has been illegal in the USA for
> about 50 years now.

Illegal doesn't mean they are not used.


Most major commercial breeders (Tyson, Perdue) don't
> use antibiotics, either.

They have cut down; don't know if they have eliminated them. It's nearly
impossible to raise battery chickens without antibiotics at some point.
The chickens are slaughtered so young, there are likely to be residues.



AIUI, the main differences in the flavor of
> chicken flesh come from feed ingredients and whether the birds are caged or
> not.

Antibiotics are still added to feeds and and some feeds contain things
such as ground up chicken feathers etc.

>
> When I can stomach the higher prices, I buy the "Smart Chicken" brand, which
> is processed without the addition of water. The meat is far superior to
> regular chicken in both texture and flavor, and it seems to cook "better"
> too, not having all that extra water in it. Free-range (whatever that
> really means) meat may be even better, I dunno.
>
> http://www.smartchicken.com
>
> Jason (not affiliated, just a happy customer)
 
"Arri London" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Jason Quick wrote:
>>
>> "Arri London" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> > Donna wrote:
>> >>
>> > Easy experiment: get a supermarket chicken (with added 'solution',
>> > hormones and antibiotics etc) [...]
>>
>> The use of hormones in poultry production has been illegal in the USA for
>> about 50 years now.
>
> Illegal doesn't mean they are not used.

You may be right, but hopefully not, as that is not only the law, but many
producers *advertise* that they don't use hormones, so not only would they
be violating food safety laws, they'd be violating federal and state
truth-in-advertising law as well.

> Most major commercial breeders (Tyson, Perdue) don't
>> use antibiotics, either.
>
> They have cut down; don't know if they have eliminated them.

Either way it's legal, but again, they can't advertise they don't use them
when they in fact do. Not to say that the law can't be ignored.

I'd be very interested to see any data that support the assertion you make;
I'd think any concerned group could easily afford to have tests done on a
random sampling of chicken bought at retail.

> Antibiotics are still added to feeds and and some feeds contain things
> such as ground up chicken feathers etc.

Some, perhaps. Presumably, when the producers advertise "vegetable
grain-fed" and "no animal proteins are fed to our chickens," they mean just
that. They'd better, anyway. AIUI, chickens aren't supposed to be fed
feather meal, but are fed meat and bone meal. Cattle can be fed feather
meal, as well as poultry *litter* (blech).

The brand I mentioned previously, MBA Smart Chicken, says they not only
don't use antibiotics or hormones, but no animal protein either.

Jason
 
On Wed, 05 Jan 2005 13:13:41 -0800, JimLane
<[email protected]> wrote:

> sf wrote:
> > On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 09:07:53 -0500, "Nancy Young"
> > <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >
> >> Man, and I've been on the hunt for good fatty pork, can't find a local farm
> >> that raises and sells pork.
> >
> >
> > I don't think you'll find it these days unless you find an
> > "heirloom" pig.
> >
> > sf
>
> I think a search on this group would bring back a previous thread on
> this. There are farmers who do raise better pork than the standard
> suffermarkets carry.
>
> Neiman Ranch (in TJs?) comes to mind as being a definite step above.
>
Neiman Ranch is not a boutique producer, although it's
packaged to look like one.

> A custom or high level butcher shop may also have a source of better
> pork to select from. In San Diego, we have Ohio Meat Farms and its
> sister store (can't recall the name - Seidel's?) and Tip Top Meats in
> North County that carry far better pork.
>
Your area has some very good small butchers who get their
meat from small/family farmers. It's a good thing.
>
> However, the leaner pork does not taste nearly as good as the day-to-day
> stuff that was around before they began cross breeding for leanness.
>
I like the way pork tastes now - I hated those big globs of
fat that were permeated in the old type and I thought all
that fat over powered the meaty flavor.

sf
 
Jason Quick wrote:

> >> The use of hormones/antibiotics

I was surprised/shocked to learn a few years ago from a organic chicken
producer here in Canada that they can use antibiotics or whatever the
other people use, but the chickens must not have any residue in their
system x number of days before market. I believe it is the same for
crops, too. It is not that they don't use stuff, it is just a different
process. I mean nobody his going to spend lots of money on hormones and
antibiotics unless they have to and they all have to do it the same way
except there is a grace period before sending the organic ones to market
and the organic ones are way more expensive but not without some form of
legal drugs or chemicals.

Well, if you raised your child in a cage and fed it the same thing
everyday and gave it no exercise, would it turn out the same as a child
that had a fantastic diet, played sports, got lots of exercise and got a
good education?

In fact, it may be legal to raise two pets, one in a cage and one that
is not caged and see how they look after 6 months or whatever length of
time it is before they kill the chicken.

For most of us it is a tough question, eat possibly bse beef (not a
chance while I am being lied to about how safe beef is) or caged
birds? I have tried to live on dried beans, rice, corn and veggies and
I just can't seem to do it. Maybe some day. Tried tofu and it doesn't
keep all that well in the fridge and is a great protein enhancer but
very poor substitute.
 
>Is it just me, or does chicken today really not taste as good as it did,
>say, 30 years ago?

What tastes good (to some people) is the notion that Big Ugly Corporations
dominate every aspect of their lives and insert insidious additives into food
products.

Chicken tastes good if you know how to prepare it. If you don't know how to
cook, perhaps ideology will improve the taste.

Neil
 
On Tue, 4 Jan 2005 09:07:53 -0500, "Nancy Young" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>"sf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> On Mon, 3 Jan 2005 21:43:19 -0500, Tony P.
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> Lastly it is because we've bred our animals to be lean. Fat does lend a
>>> large amount of flavor to many foods.
>>
>> 30 years ago pork was going lean - but 40 years ago, pork
>> was so full of fat that it was absolutely disgusting to eat.
>> I love it now, but you couldn't have paid me to eat pork
>> roast even 35 years ago.
>
>Man, and I've been on the hunt for good fatty pork, can't find a local farm
>that raises and sells pork.
>
>nancy
>
you might try an oriental market that sells meat.

your pal,
blake
 
On Tue, 04 Jan 2005 18:42:54 GMT, "Dimitri" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>"Donna" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> Is it just me, or does chicken today really not taste as good as it did,
>> say, 30 years ago?
>>
>> Donna
>
>It has changed.
>
>If Chicken has changed that much in the last 30 years think what its going
>to taste like in 2035.
>
>
>Dimitri
>
probably like rattlesnake.

your pal,
blake
 
Just curious here. If I understand you, the fact that chickens are
heavily treated with various chemicals and fed entirely differently and
slaughtered at much younger ages has no effect on taste?
 
On 16 Jan 2005 15:20:26 GMT, [email protected] (WardNA) wrote:

>>Is it just me, or does chicken today really not taste as good as it did,
>>say, 30 years ago?
>
>What tastes good (to some people) is the notion that Big Ugly Corporations
>dominate every aspect of their lives and insert insidious additives into food
>products.
>
>Chicken tastes good if you know how to prepare it. If you don't know how to
>cook, perhaps ideology will improve the taste.
>
Actually, cooked exactly the same way, good chickens taste better than
bad chickens. Unfortunately good ones are mor trouble to produce and
cost more. Hard for ideology to alter that.



Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a

"Hawg Polo?" . . . "Hawg Polo"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom Back