Have You Heard of City Chicken? Here’s Why It’s Not Chicken

Have you ever had something that is so part of your life that you consider it normal? But then come to find out it's not as well known as you think? That's what happened to me recently with being a Michigander and eating City Chicken.

What Is City Chicken? The Michigan Dish That Isn't Chicken

If you're not from Michigan—and even more specifically, from Southeast Michigan—you may have never heard of this dish as it's considered a regional thing. That's what I learned recently when I described this dish to someone who had never heard of it before, and they asked me if I was being serious.

If you don't know, City Chicken isn't chicken... it's pork.

What is City Chicken actually made from, a Michigan tradition

That might seem weird, considering the word chicken is in the name, but this dish is made entirely from pork. And interestingly enough, there's a reason for that.

Why Does City Chicken Have Chicken in the Name?

City chicken got its start in the Depression era when poultry was more expensive than pork and veal was. It's made is by using cubes of pork or veal (or both) and threading them onto skewers, battering them in flour and crumbs, and either frying or baking. Not to mention that when these are being made, they're often shaped to look like chicken drumsticks.

This dish is very popular in parts of Southeast Michigan because it "originated in the Polish and Ukrainian communities that settled in the Great Lakes region prior to the Great Depression." Even now, Southeast Michigan has a strong Polish community that has continued the popularity of this dish. That's how I got my introduction to it; through my large Polish family in Metro Detroit.

So, if you're not from Michigan and you were unfamiliar with City Chicken... now you are!