[1] No boring flour here: These fingers have a terrific breading of corn flakes and chopped pecans (photo © Taste Of Home).

[2] Pecans are a great crust for chicken, but if you prefer, you can use your nut of choice. Macadamias? Pistachios? (photo © Schermer Pecans).

[3] Corn Flakes are our favorite coating for fried chicken. Check out this recipe (photo © Kellogg).

[4] Buffalo wings cinnamon honey. You can make your own by mixing cinnamon into plain honey. Or, Drizzle Honey makes a great one (photo © Drizzle Honey).

[5] The tenderloin, shown on top of the breast here, is actually underneath the breast (A.I. image).

[6] Chicken tenders at the market (photo © Butcher Shoppe Direct).

Updated July 2026

Chicken finger lovers: the cluckin’ good piece of poultry that’s also known as chicken tenders and chicken strips, has its own holiday on July 27th.

Below:

> A delicious chicken fingers recipe.

> Beyond the usual condiments: 10 dipping sauce options.

> The history of chicken fingers.

> The different parts of a chicken. How many can you name before looking at the chart?

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The year’s 40 chicken holidays.

> The history of chicken.

> Gettin’ geeky: chicken terminology.
 
 
RECIPE: CHICKEN FINGERS WITH A PECAN CRUST

A treat for the whole family, this recipe adds even more flavor and protein with a crunchy pecan coating. You can use sauces for dipping or creating your own.

The recipe is from Beba Cates of Pearland, Texas, and sent to us by the Taste Of Home Editorial Team5x.

Prep time is 15 minutes and cook time is 15 minutes.

You can also find pre-cut raw chicken tenders in many markets. Yes, you can also find ready-to-heat-and-eat chicken tenders/fingers in the frozen food aisle, but trust us: This recipe is so much better!
 
Ingredients For 2 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. In a shallow bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients (pecans through salt).

2. PLACE the milk in another shallow bowl. Dip the chicken in milk, then roll in pecan mixture.

3. PLACE the strips in a single layer in an ungreased 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered, until juices run clear, 12-15 minutes.
 
 
SAUCES FOR CHICKEN FINGERS

Chicken fingers welcome just about any condiment. We always serve a “flight of sauces,” three or more options.

The basics condiments include usual round up of barbecue sauce, honey (including hot honey), honey mustard, ketchup, marinara, ranch, and sweet and sour sauce.

Sophisticated palates will appreciate:

 
 

[7] Don’t want nuts? How about coconut-crusted chicken tenders? Here’s the recipe (photo © Spoonful Of Flavor).
 
 
THE HISTORY OF CHICKEN FINGERS

For something relatively new on the scene, the origin of chicken fingers (also called chicken tenders or chicken strips) is lacking in detail. Who first served them? When? Where?

Fried chicken fingers-tenders-strips as we know them today emerged in the 1960s-1970s in the American South.

While several restaurants claim to have invented them, they likely developed simultaneously in multiple locations, given the burgeoning fast-food industry’s need for convenient, handheld chicken options.

The concept was partly inspired by the popular British meal, fish and chips†, substituting breaded, fried chicken for the breaded, fried fish.

Chicken fingers exploded in the 1980s and 1990s as chain restaurants like Raising Cane’s (founded 1996) and Zaxby’s (founded 1990) built entire concepts around them. In fact, the Chicken Fingers holiday was created by Raising Cane’s founder, Todd Graves (with concurrent promotional opportunities, of course).

Chicken fingers are typically cut from the chicken breast, specifically the pectoralis major, the large pectoral muscle. They’re cut into long, finger-like strips along the grain of the muscle.

However, another part of the chicken, the tenderloin (pectoralis minor), is also used. It’s a smaller, separate muscle that lies underneath the main breast meat (photos #5 and #6).

This tender morsel is literally the most tender part of the chicken, and is where the name comes from. Note that fast food chains use the less expensive breast meat.
 
 

[7] All the edible parts of a chicken.
 
 
________________
 
*Real vs. faux honey mustard: Store-bought honey mustard often contains real honey, but the amount can be small. Less expensive sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup, sugar, or glucose syrup are commonly added, sometimes as the main sweetener. The packets you get from foodservice may contain little or no real honey. Read the ingredients label.

†Fish and chips—fried fish with a side of thick-cut fried potatoes (the chips), first appeared in London around 1860. Their popularity exploded: a cheap, filling, portable food for working-class families. By 1910, there were more than 25,000 fish and chip shops across Britain. The dish became so culturally important that during both World Wars, the British government ensured that fish and chips remained one of the few foods not rationed!
 

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July 25th is National Hot Sundae Day, a favorite of our youth. Every year we give ourselves permission to make one. Because we’re picky, our hot fudge brands of choice are two artisan companies that make small-batch products from top ingredients:

 
Both companies make other delicious dessert sauces, which we are fond of giving as party favors and stocking stuffers.

Ice cream lovers may be captivated to know that there are more than 50 ice cream holidays per year, plus 7 ice cream drink holidays (floats, shakes), plus the following:
 
 
THE YEAR’S 6 ICE CREAM SUNDAE HOLIDAYS

 
 
MORE TO DISCOVER ABOUT ICE CREAM

> The history of the ice cream sundae.

> The history of hot fudge.

> The history of ice cream.

> The different types of ice cream and frozen desserts: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 50+ ice cream holidays.

> The year’s 8 ice cream drink holidays.

> How to set up a DIY sundae party bar.
 
 

[4] Somebody’s Mother’s is tops on our list.

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

[1] Peach Melba (January 13th): vanilla ice cream, a poached peach half, and raspberry purée (photo © Danilova Janna | Smarterpix).

[2] July 7th: Check out these different ways to make a strawberry sundae (photo © Elena The Wise | Smarterpix).

[3] Hot fudge is calling our name on July 25th (photo © Pixabay | Pexels).

[1] Fruit-based aqua fresca is a thirst-quencher in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Here’s the recipe (photo © New York Times | Photo: Christopher Testani | Stylist: Simon Andrews).

[2] Coconut water is almost always drunk cold, as that’s when it’s most refreshing. But you can still serve it in a pretty with a garnish of forget-me-nots (photo © Julia Blotskyaya | Pexels).

[3] Iced tea. The garnish of apple slices (approximately 86% water) makes them a hydrating snack as well (photo © Tim DeWeerdt | Pexels).

[4] Ice water. Water hydrates equally whether cold or room temperature, still or sparkling, plain, or or flavored (photo © Hint).

[5] Lemonade can be flavored in so many ways. Check out these recipes (photo © Simit + Smith).

[6] A smoothie adds protein to your favorite hydrating fruits if the recipe includes yogurt Here’s the recipe (photo © Lil’ Luna).

[7] Spa water. Citrus fruits, berries, and herbs are a standard blend. For herbs, consider basil, cilantro, dill, fennel fronds, lavender, lemon balm, rosemary, sage, and tarragon (photo © Sunset Valley Growers).

Updated July 2026

A hot day in July is a great day to hold National Refreshment Day. It’s celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month.

“Refreshment” can mean food or drink, but it should be cool and light with thirst-quenching qualities.

Most of us know that we should increase our intake of fluids—especially water—to help the body maintain proper fluid balance.

While water is undoubtedly the best hydrator, not everyone likes drinking lots of it.

So we researched the most refreshing drinks worldwide and drew up a list of other options.

Bad news for some: Alcohol is not on the list.
 
As good as that cold beer may feel going down, alcohol actually makes you thirstier—it’s dehydrating, the opposite of what the body needs in hot weather.

Peruse the dozens of options below for ideas.

Below:

> Beverages that are hydrating.

> Foods that are hydrating.

> Why alcohol makes you thirstier.

> The year’s 25 beverage holidays.
 
 
REFRESHING BEVERAGES AROUND THE WORLD

Refreshing Drinks In The U.S.

In alphabetical order:

 
 
Refreshing Drinks In Europe

 
 
Refreshing Drinks In Latin America

 
 
Refreshing Drinks In The Middle East and Africa

 
 
Refreshing Drinks In Asia

 
We didn’t include Thai iced tea or coffee because of the large amount of heavy sweetened condensed milk.
 
 
REFRESHING FOODS

Certain foods are widely considered to be refreshing. Not surprisingly, they tend to be chilled or cold, light in texture, moist or juicy. They can be sweet or tart.

 
Savory choices:

 
In general, stay away from salt. Lemon or lime zest, grated ginger, and mint are cooling substitutes.
 
 
WHY ALCOHOL MAKES YOU THIRSTIER

Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it removes water from the body by increasing urine production. This causes the body to lose more fluids than it takes in, leading to dehydration.

 
If you must have any alcohol, the trick is to alternate each drink with tall glasses of water.

 
To dot the I’s and cross the T’s, another juice holiday—but not a beverage—is August 29th, National Lemon Juice Day.
 
________________
 
*Not all bubble tea contains tea, despite the name. Yes, traditional bubble tea contains real brewed tea (black, green, jasmine, oolong, etc.), mixed with milk or fruit flavorings, sweetened, and served with tapioca pearls, jelly, or popping boba. They can be called bubble drinks, boba drinks, or simply milk drinks, even if “bubble tea” is used as the umbrella term. Common tea-free options include fruit drinks/coolers, milk-based boba drinks: with dairy or nondairy milk flavored, and others.

**ABV is alcohol by volume, the amount of alcohol in the beverage. You double the ABV to get the proof of the beverage, e.g., 40% ABV = 80 proof, the typical proof for spirits. Lagers and ales range from 4.5% to 6% ABV, and wines from 10.5% to 15%.

Non-tea bubble tea is made with milk, creamers, or fruit syrups, but no actual tea (and is thus caffeine-free). Some examples: taro “milk tea” (taro powder and milk), fruit “milk tea” (made with fruit syrups and milk), and brown sugar boba (milk, brown sugar syrup, tapioca pearls [boba]).

> The history of bubble tea.

†The spritz originated in northern Italy in the 19th century when Austrian soldiers diluted local wines with a “spritz” (splash) of soda water. Over time, it evolved into a cocktail with a bitter liqueur and sparkling wine, like the Aperol Spritz. (The history of the spritz).

With the rise of non-alcoholic or “zero-proof” versions of alcohol, mocktails are created that follow the same formula: a bitter or aromatic base, a sparkling component (water, tonic water), citrus juice, and an optional citrus or herb (mint, rosemary) garnish.

‡Fruits with the highest water content include those that are 90% and above water (cucumber, cantaloupe, strawberries, watermelon) and those that are 80% to 89% (apples, grapefruit, grapes, oranges, peaches, pineapple, raspberries).

Other fruits are still nutritious, but less hydrating—and more calorie- and fiber-dense per gram. They include avocado, banana, passionfruit, persimmon, and dried fruits.
 
 

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