Gender politics of eating a roast chicken!!

[ColdOopNorth]

Apologies in advance if this is the wrong place to ask and it seems rather trivial but.... I come from a traditional Northern family and I am in my 50's. I have always , from early childhood, believed that it is 'normal' when carving a roast bird to give the men the legs and the women get the breast! This was 'the rule' growing up, my husband took this as normal too and I never ever questioned why until my non-British friends came for lunch and thought it was the most weird, bizarre thing ever and are still talking about it weeks after. Is this a thing for anyone else and any idea why? I suspect it is to do with men being allowed to pick up the leg and gnaw on it whilst us 'ladies' are far too refined - just goes to show how deeply ingrained some of these stereotypes are eh

OP, that's familiar to me from my Northern working class background. From how it seemed to me the breast was considered the best part (yes, this has changed but was definitely a thing a few decades back) and much easier to handle and the men were considered to be able to handle the trickier less desirable portions.

@sqirrelfriends..... to be absolutely fair, I can't accuse my MIL of being stingy with food generally. No one would ever starve at hers as the table is always groaning. I've learnt however that certain types of food are regarded by her as 'treat' like and invariably therefore the men get first dibs on it for absolutely no good reason except she must see them as more deserving and important. As with the turkey legs, but also crackling from a pork joint or the skin off a rice pudding. She's even been known to pounce if she spots you picking the 'wrong' Quality Street ... "Ooh, could you maybe have something else as the green triangles are Martin's favourite".

It drives me up the wall but to actually leave a woman hungry, especially one who's breastfeeding, is downright nasty as well as being sexist.

I am from a Northern family of coal miners and steel workers. I have never heard of this.

I'm mid 50s.

If we had chicken then everyone got what they asked for but as PP said chicken was a luxury food, my parents had it for Christmas the first year they were married.

Now my grandmothers - a different attitude. If my grandma was at our house and there was a roast she would bring it to the table whole and with a carving knife and fork for my dad, which he hated, he's left handed but brought up to eat like a right hander so carving - not easy, my mum would take over.

If she was staying with us then she would always stay up until my dad was home. My dad was in sales so used to work evenings (anyone remember the days you had someone come out to sell you central heating or double glassing) and often wanted to just some in, have a cup of tea (or a beer) and go to bed not chat to his mother in law. Her husband died before whe was 40 so most of her life she lived alone.

My Nana was different, well we had a lot of family Xmases at our house as it was the biggest and my brother and I were the only children.

But when asked what she wanted from the huge turkey would say, 'Oh I'll just have some brown meat' because that was the polite thing to do, my mum knew she preferred breast so would insist on her having some white meat at all.

Oh and we started off in Yorkshire so we also did the Yorkshire pudding as a starter before a roast.

NOT having Penis portions in my house growing up led to me becoming overweight. So I disagree that they are always a bad thing.

I have NEVER heard of this - whoever asks for a leg gets it - assuming there are only 2 of them. I never want it!

In my 50s . Northern working class etc etc. I've heard of this but we ignored it while I was growing up and still do now. If someone likes a particular part they get that part but everyone gets breast meat in this order: kids, guest (if there are any), the cook (which growing up and now could e either parent), the non- cook.

In my parents house being given leg meat was an insult because none of us liked it.

My mother could only get use out of it in casseroles/soups.

I'd be chuffed if someone removed the legs, gave them to the men and let me scoff the breast meat!

We did this in our house, but I assumed it was just our family. My dad liked the leg meat so he had it, mum wasn't keen on the dark meat.
I'm not sure it's a "thing" though.
As for penis portions, my dad was a 30cm taller than my mum, and probably 35kg heavier, so wouldn't have seemed weird if he ate more.

In my house, growing up, adults got breast and children got leg meat. I think this was mainly because my mum loved breast meat, but my grandparents did it too.

As for penis portions, my dad was a 30cm taller than my mum, and probably 35kg heavier, so wouldn't have seemed weird if he ate more. I think there are 2 very distinct versions.

One based on reality, physiology
The other based on patriarchal privilege

The first makes sense, in some ways
The second needs to be entirely dismantled

Mid 40s, northern WC background. Trad grandmother carved the whole bird to a serving plate and was always trying to dish out the ‘brown meat’ as everyone tried to get the breast.

I'm Welsh and every Sunday this would happen, my Bampy (grandfather) got the leg and left it on his plate until last, then had a piece of bread to go with it to mop up the gravy, but I never once saw him pick it up with his fingers, he could strip it with his knife and fork!
I always thought this was just normal.
Nice memories.

I have never heard if this. In my house it is DH who prefers the breast meat, DDs prefer the leg meat and I like both so take whatever is left and the dog gets the skin. As the roaster of the chicken I also get the privilege of carving it and getting to pick over all the lovely juicy bits on the carcass.

I’ve never heard of this. Growing up in my house, my dad and I (I’m female) would have breast meat, as we’re fussy and that’s what we both prefer.
My mum and my brothers like thigh/all the slimy bits/gnawing on cartilage.

My mum would carve if you’re interested in knowing.

Nowadays I usually roast the chicken and DH carves.. for the reason that I don’t enjoy carving. I still have the breast meat because I prefer it and he has whatever he feels like.

@HasaDigaEebowai

It certainly isn't a British thing. Its a you thing.

I was raised in a mining town in Yorkshire in the 60s. Yes, it was the accepted way of carving and serving a chicken, and I’m somewhat disconcerted that posters are so confident in their disbelief.

@highame

I'm from Yorkshire and I'm sure I've heard of this.

I think people who call this sort of stuff bizarre and odd are very rude, thanks wow for some information

Yes, it is rude.

The meats have a different taste, it would just go according to who preferred which in my house growing up

British born and bred. Never done this. Mum always had the legs cos she loves them.
DH hates the bones so the legs go untouched until I'm ripping them apart stuffing my face like a medieval king every time I walk past the fridge the following day.

@steppemum

It doesnt matter how you cook it, the thighs will always be more tender and tasty.

nope, I prefer the breast meat.

Urgh. No they're not. I don't do thighs. Or wings.

Neither do my kids.

The dog gets the wings.

Its why we never really have a whole chicken and I'd rather have a delicious rib roast instead, or pork fillet or loin, or belly.

@ApolloandDaphne "and the dog gets the skin."

Possibly the most shocking thing I've read yet.

Northern too and it was the other way round, adult females got the legs & dark meat, kids and men got the breast.

We had this growing up but we kids would fight over chicken wings.

I think I always had less food on roast as once I had cooked it I could just not be bother to eat it.

This is why I now cook dinner bung in serving bowls on table and everyone helps themselves to what portions they want of what food they like and then bubble & squeak for Monday nights tea

[quote picklemewalnuts]@ApolloandDaphne "and the dog gets the skin."

Possibly the most shocking thing I've read yet.[/quote]

Literally never heard of this in my life.