Tasty Fun Food Facts For True Hot Chicken and Southern Food Lovers

Get Your Cluck On, Let’s GO!

1. While US (Southern food) cuisine is so often associated with fried and hot chicken one might have thought that the United States or Southern region in general was the birthplace of the dish. Wrong! It turns out we all have Scotland to thank for fried chicken. They put a new spin on chicken by being the first to fry it in fat. Although enjoyed the world over, other countries’ main cooking method of the bird was originally either boiled or baked. When Scots immigrated to the United States they THANKFULLY brought their fat fried chicken with them. You can’t go wrong with a comforting bowl of chicken soup or the enticing aroma of a chicken roasting in the oven…Yet, somehow, neither of those delights deliver the crunch of perfectly fried hot chicken. Some people batter their fried chicken, others use Panko, cornflakes or even potato chips for that crispy crunch. You can check this Daily Journal article for some interesting facts about fried chicken.
2. If you consider yourself to be a fried chicken fanatic then you most likely already have July 6th saved in your calendar each year. No one needs a special occasion to enjoy fried chicken but July 6th is known as National Fried Chicken Day! Have you ever attended or thrown a fried chicken party? Why the heck not? Memorial Day, 4th of July and summer are ALL just around the corner. Here’s a spicy idea. You could level up the Crimson Coward heat trail each visit (both locations are open 7 days a week) and/or upcoming holiday.
3. Do you have a few of your own fried chicken recipe secrets? Or do you prefer to let us fry up your Nashville style hot chicken to perfection so all you have to do is kick back and enjoy it? When we handle the hot chicken, you choose the heat level, there are five to tempt those taste buds of fire. Start slow friends…. The country has no heat, great for kids and those who don’t like any spice. Next up is mild, for hot chicken fans who want just a hint of heat. Medium is just a slap of heat for those working their way up from the country. Once you get to Crimson-hot you will feel the burn, most people stop here. In case you want to go higher in spicy level, we recommend reading how to increase and enjoy your spicy food tolerance then start the journey. But, for those of you who dare, don’t say we didn’t warn you. Our highest heat level is not for the faint of heart and we named BURRRRN, BABY, BURN for a reason!
4. Macaroni and cheese is a staple on our menu and guest at our table. To us, homemade is always our first choice when it comes to the gooey, creamy comfort food. In our version of food heaven, piping hot and fresh macaroni and cheese would be on-hand 24/7. We are pretty certain that many of you feel the same way. The popularity of macaroni and cheese even in boxed form is mind boggling… Brace yourselves! “Kraft Sells One Million Boxes Of Mac And Cheese A Day”  Any math lovers want to figure out how many bowls of mac that would be? How much butter? Math macaroni and cheese challenge is on.
5. We also serve fried pickles to go alongside your Crimson Coward hot chicken tenders, wings, sandwiches and pretty much everything else on our menu. Umm, which dish is not enhanced with a few (or a handful) of deep fried pickles? We add fried pickles to just about everything. Our fried pickle frenzy is not unique however… Eater Fried Pickles takes a dive into pickleville tracing how the country fair food rose to such popularity. If you want to further expand your pickle knowledge and also learn the difference between dill pickles and bread and butter pickles then check out Taste Of Homes feature to the condiment that really should be an entrée.
6. German immigrants brought their version of (hot) potato salad with them to the US. The German version included a vinegar based dressing, coarse mustard, onion and bacon. The German immigrant hot potato salad influenced the Northern American version which most of us know simply as potato salad. Google shares that there are more than 4.000 varieties of potatoes in the world, not including 180 wild potato species. Interesting to note that, “There are more than 200 varieties of potatoes sold throughout the United States. Each of these varieties fit into one of seven potato type categories: russet, red, white, yellow, blue/purple, fingerling and petite…” Check out our potato salad and other sides. Both our locations (Downey and Artesia, California) are open for dine-in and take out, 7 days a week. Nashville hot chicken Delivery is also available if you don’t feel like leaving the crib.
7. When you need a little fresh, crisp and tangy crunch in your life then dial up an order of our slaw. No wilted or soggy heavy slaw here don’t worry. Crimson Coward’s slaw dazzles with thinly sliced green and purple cabbage tossed with shredded carrots, then dressed in a house-made vinaigrette and garnished with fresh cilantro. Just like there are hundreds of different potato salad recipes, the same goes for slaw or coleslaw. Most of us use the two words interchangeably but while we are on the topic…Chowhound clarifies the real difference between slaw and coleslaw. Hint, hint, it’s all about the cabbage. Now that you know the difference, will you still call the salad slaw, or coleslaw or something in between? Some recipes really go out on a slaw-like limb incorporating other veggies like kale, broccoli, carrots, jicama, beets, and even fennel. Others sweeten things a bit incorporating shredded apples, Asian pears, pineapple or berries. Garnishes vary too from nuts and seeds such as poppy seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds and walnuts. Where do you slaw the line?