The Nugget Man: Dr. Robert Baker (Rerun)

This week, I'm taking a look back to my first ever podcast (recorded in 2011) when I sleuthed the incredible legacy of food scientist Dr. Robert C. Baker.

Dr. Baker completely transformed how people consume chicken. Prior to his work, Americans largely farmed chickens for egg production and ate an average of just 15 lb of chicken per year. After his work at Cornell University developing 40+ poultry innovations, American chicken consumption skyrocketed to 90 lb/year! It was Dr. Baker, not McDonald's, who is credited with the invention of the chicken nugget nor did he profit from or seek accolades for his innovation.

One of Dr. Baker's proudest achievements was inventing the recipe for barbecued Cornell Chicken. This tasty dish was served at the New York State Fair's Chicken Coop run by the Baker family for 70 years. Sadly, The Chicken Coop recently closed for good, marking the end of an era.