What’s the one thing that can be found on the menu of both posh restaurants and kai endhi bhavans?

That’s right, it’s the universal favourite: chicken 65. First introduced in Madras, there are several theories as to why the delicious, deep-fried dish has this name. Some theories make sense – like the one that suggests it was the 65 item on a menu.

Other stories are downright bizarre: the chicken is marinated for 65 days; it is made from 65-day-old chickens; a chicken is cut into 65 pieces; a chef once added 65 chillies to the recipe to make it super spicy and so forth.

In reality, the dish was introduced in 1965 by Buhari’s hotel and hence the name. The popular restaurant has followed the naming convention by introducing Chicken 78, 82 and 90 in later years.

However it came about, the fact remains that it is among the most popular choice for an entrée or a bar snack and that hasn’t changed over the years.

> Chennai Central at The Hindu celebrates Madras Week

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