Kamil Perry
Buffalo wings and blue cheese have become an iconic flavor combination, like hot dogs and mustard or peanut butter and jelly. The pairing is said to have originated in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, when co-owner Teressa Bellissimo served wings with hot sauce and butter to her son and his friends. The wings were garnished with celery and blue cheese, which were likely chosen because they were available at the bar. Interestingly, Bleu Cheese Stuffed Celery was a popular appetizer on the Anchor Bar's menu at the time, and the combination of blue cheese and celery may have been familiar to customers. Blue cheese also has the effect of reducing the heat of spicy foods, which could be why it became a popular pairing with Buffalo wings.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 1964 |
| Place | Anchor Bar, Buffalo, New York |
| Invented by | Teressa Bellissimo |
| Reason | Blue cheese was available at the bar |
| Reason | Blue cheese stuffed celery was a popular appetizer on the menu |
| Reason | Dairy products are a natural coolant to combat the heat of the capsicum |
| Other accompaniments | Celery sticks, carrots, tortilla chips |
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What You'll Learn
- Blue cheese was served with the first plate of wings because it was the only cheese available
- Dairy products are a natural coolant to combat the heat of the capsicum in hot wings
- Blue cheese was already a popular appetiser at Anchor Bar, the restaurant that invented Buffalo wings
- Blue cheese is commonly used as a salad dressing and dip, and wings are often served with salad
- Blue cheese and Buffalo wings have become an iconic flavour combination, like hot dogs and mustard
Blue cheese was served with the first plate of wings because it was the only cheese available
The famous Buffalo wings were first served in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, by Teressa Bellissimo. The story goes that her son, Dominic, and his friends were hungry late one night, so Teressa threw together some wings, margarine, and hot sauce. She served the wings with house blue cheese dressing and celery sticks left over from making an antipasto salad. The choice of blue cheese was likely because it was the only cheese available at the bar at the time.
The Anchor Bar's menu from 1963, a year before the invention of the famous wings, reveals that they served "Bleu Cheese Stuffed Celery" as an appetizer. This could explain why blue cheese and celery ended up on the plate with the first Buffalo wings. It was something their customers already enjoyed and were familiar with.
The Buffalo History Museum's Library Director, Cynthia Van Ness, has been researching the origins of the iconic pairing of Buffalo wings with blue cheese and celery. She has collected old menus from The Anchor Bar, uncovering evidence of the blue cheese-stuffed celery appetizer. Van Ness's initiative to document Buffalo's food history sheds light on the city's beloved culinary traditions.
While the exact reason for the initial pairing may be a coincidence, the combination of Buffalo wings with blue cheese has become a global phenomenon. Blue cheese, with its distinctive marbling and sharp flavour, complements the spicy, buttery hot sauce of the wings. The dairy in the blue cheese also helps to balance the heat of the dish, creating a perfect pairing that has stood the test of time.
In conclusion, the first plate of Buffalo wings was served with blue cheese because it was likely the only cheese available at the Anchor Bar at the time. This fortuitous choice, combined with customer familiarity and the complementary flavours of the ingredients, led to the iconic pairing that has become synonymous with Buffalo-style wings.
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Dairy products are a natural coolant to combat the heat of the capsicum in hot wings
Dairy products are a natural coolant, which is why blue cheese is often served with hot wings. The cheese helps to combat the heat of the capsicum in the wings. While the exact origins of this pairing are unclear, it is believed that blue cheese was first served with Buffalo wings in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. The co-owner of the bar, Teressa Bellissimo, created the famous "hot-sauce-and-butter" combo for her son and his friends, and served the wings with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks, which were leftover from making an antipasto salad.
Blue cheese stuffed celery was a popular appetizer on the Anchor Bar menu at the time, and it is likely that this influenced Bellissimo's choice to serve the cheese with the wings. The combination of blue cheese and Buffalo wings has since become iconic, with Buffalo residents swearing by it, even as ranch dressing has become the preferred side for many U.S. wing restaurants.
The Buffalo History Museum has played a key role in uncovering the history of this pairing. Museum researchers, including Cynthia Van Ness, have collected old menus from the Anchor Bar, which first served Buffalo wings in 1964. These menus revealed that blue cheese stuffed celery was a popular appetizer at the time, and this likely influenced the choice to serve blue cheese with the wings.
Blue cheese, in particular, has become a popular choice for many wing enthusiasts. The cheese itself has a blue-colored marbling due to the addition of a mold called Penicillium. While some may find the idea of moldy cheese unappealing, the strong flavour of blue cheese has made it a favourite for many when paired with the spicy sauce of Buffalo wings.
The dairy in blue cheese also provides a creamy texture that helps to balance out the heat and spice of the wings. This can be seen in recipes for blue cheese dips, where the cheese is combined with other ingredients to create a creamy and flavourful sauce that complements the wings.
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Blue cheese was already a popular appetiser at Anchor Bar, the restaurant that invented Buffalo wings
Dominic and his friends loved the combination, and it stuck. It turns out that blue cheese was a great choice to cut down the heat of the wings. It also helped that blue cheese was already a popular appetiser at the Anchor Bar. According to the Buffalo History Museum, an old Anchor Bar menu from 1963, a year before the invention of Buffalo wings, featured "Bleu Cheese Stuffed Celery" as an appetiser.
This discovery led by Cynthia Van Ness of the Buffalo History Museum sheds light on why blue cheese and celery were served with the first plates of Buffalo wings. It is likely that blue cheese was served with the original Buffalo wings because it was already a popular appetiser at the Anchor Bar, and it also helped balance the heat of the wings. Blue cheese has since become an iconic flavour combination with Buffalo wings, just like hot dogs and mustard or peanut butter and jelly.
While ranch dressing has become the preferred side for many U.S. wing restaurants, Buffalo has remained loyal to its blue cheese tradition. Blue cheese, whether as a dip or dressing, continues to be a popular choice for Buffalo wing enthusiasts, with some even mixing buffalo sauce with blue cheese dressing to enhance the flavour.
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Blue cheese is commonly used as a salad dressing and dip, and wings are often served with salad
The reason for including blue cheese is often attributed to the fact that it was all Teressa had available at the time. However, it is interesting to note that "Bleu Cheese Stuffed Celery" was a popular appetizer on the menu at Anchor Bar in 1964. This could explain why blue cheese has become such a staple when serving chicken wings.
Blue cheese has a strong flavour and distinctive smell, which may not be to everyone's taste. However, its popularity as a dip for chicken wings has endured, even with the emergence of other options such as ranch dressing. In fact, Buffalo has stuck firmly to its blue cheese roots, despite ranch dressing becoming the preferred side for many U.S. wing restaurants.
Blue cheese is often served as a chunky dip alongside chicken wings, and it can also be brushed directly onto the wings before baking to give them an extra punch of flavour. The dairy in the cheese also helps to cut down the heat of the wings, making it a complementary pairing.
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Blue cheese and Buffalo wings have become an iconic flavour combination, like hot dogs and mustard
The Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, is credited with serving the first plate of Buffalo wings in 1964. Frank and Teressa Bellissimo, co-owners of the bar, whipped up a quick snack of wings, margarine, and hot sauce for their son Dominic and his friends. Teressa served the wings with house blue cheese dressing and celery sticks left over from making an antipasto salad. The combination was a hit, and it stuck.
There are several theories as to why Teressa Bellissimo chose to serve blue cheese with the wings. One popular theory is that she simply used what was available. Indeed, blue cheese stuffed celery was a popular appetiser on the Anchor Bar menu at the time. Another theory is that the dairy in the blue cheese helped to cut down the heat of the wings.
Whatever the reason for the original pairing, blue cheese and Buffalo wings have become a beloved combination, with Buffalo sticking to its blue cheese tradition even as ranch dressing became the preferred side for many U.S. wing restaurants in recent decades. For wing enthusiasts, the creamy, tangy blue cheese is the perfect complement to the spicy, crispy wings, and the two have become an iconic duo on par with hot dogs and mustard.
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Frequently asked questions
Buffalo wings are served with bleu cheese because it was likely the only option available to Teressa Bellissimo, who, in 1964, first created the Buffalo-style wings at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. Bleu cheese stuffed celery was a popular appetizer on the menu at the time, and the cheese helped to cut down the heat of the wings.
Aside from bleu cheese, buffalo wings are often served with celery sticks, carrots, tortilla chips, or ranch dressing.
Buffalo wings were first created by Teressa Bellissimo, co-owner of the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, in 1964. The wings were prepared with margarine, hot sauce, and blue cheese, and were served to her son and his friends late one night.
While bleu cheese is a popular dip for buffalo wings, ranch dressing is also a common choice. Some people also like to mix the buffalo sauce with bleu cheese dressing and put it on their wings.
To make buffalo wings at home, you can bake or fry them. First, wash and pat dry the chicken wings, then season them with salt and pepper. Arrange the wings on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Finally, brush the wings with bleu cheese dressing and serve with your choice of dip.
