"Among iconic American foodstuffs, fried chicken has the ability to generate a particular patriotic zeal, and southerners are by far the most vocal (rightfully so). The dish has a dark past: The beloved cooking technique was introduced to this country by people who found themselves cooking here through no choice of their own. Today the bird is a true art form, and the best examples of the genre are positively addictive, a singular organism of skin and meat fused by hot fat. It's a food that deserves its global stage--excellent variations come by way of Asia and South America--though southern styles are most prevalent in NYC. Here are the 10 best."
