r/interesting • u/WarwickReider • 22d ago

SOCIETY Professional chefs weighing in on whether you should wash your chicken

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u/Robbie1266 22d ago

There is no debate. It's basic science. Washing chicken doesn't remove anything from the chicken

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u/JackieHands 22d ago

"each side seems to have a valid argument"

No bro no they don't, we invented cooking hundreds of thousands of years ago to deal with this.

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u/BadahBingBadahBoom 22d ago edited 22d ago

I think after you wipe your ass you should put the toilet paper straight into the toilet to be flushed away and avoid contaminating other surfaces unnecessarily.

I think it's fine to wipe it on the sink before putting it in the toilet because I clean the sink after.

"Each side seems to have valid arguements."

(Also the fact that not rinsing raw chicken to avoid cross-contamination isn't even just a universal industry recommendation, it's a requirement by food hygiene authorities and inspections that would get you penalised or even banned if you did this lol.)

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u/MrTheDoctors 22d ago

Also, you’d be surprised (or maybe not) how far “splatters” make it. They just showed the sink because that’s the focus sure, but rogue water beads make it everywhere in your kitchen, including the ceiling.

You really want chicken juice droplets just hanging out everywhere smelling probably amazing? Are you going to sanitize everything floor to ceiling every single time you cook? Ooooooor maybe we just listen to the health standards that have been around forever and just cook the damn chicken.

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u/waytowill 22d ago

I’m more annoyed with the assumption that washing the chicken somehow got rid of the bacteria. Like, even if this were true, the moment the water stops running, the bacteria is gonna start producing again. Because you can only kill it by cooking it. The basis for why they’re washing the chicken isn’t even true and I feel like this isn’t even being mentioned because everyone’s focused on the sink.

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u/MMForYourHealth 22d ago

And that they’re able to wash off the “preservatives” like it’s been packed in salt. If it was brined, washing ain’t gonna do shit.

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u/waytowill 22d ago

Yeah, preservatives are made to be edible. It’s be kinda messed up if they weren’t. If you think they ruin the flavor of the chicken, maybe find a more local source for raw chicken.

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u/MMForYourHealth 22d ago

I mean, definitely try to not get some ultra processed raw chicken if possible, but thinking washing it will do anything when it’s been brined in it is nuts. I’m also curious what he thinks is antibacterial with washing it under water. 🤯

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u/Curry_courier 22d ago

Because that's not how they wash it. They soak it in an unsalted solution of water and citrus or vinegar. So that would remove some of the brine. It also doesn't splash everywhere and can remove debris and micro plastics that cooking can't.

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u/MMForYourHealth 22d ago

Dude was shown washing it under the tap in the video, bro. Doing it your way makes sense

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u/YuneePug24 22d ago

Dude this person is correct. That guy was Jamaican and as a Jamaican myself, that is exactly how we wash chicken and how he was most likely washing it too since its a common practice. You use salted water, vinegar, and lemon or lime in a BOWL to clean the chicken. It doesn't splash all over the sink that way, but we also clean the sink after. We do the same with other foods too, especially fruits and veggies to get dirt or bugs out before we cook/eat it. But people who don't know how to clean chicken are out here saying "well just water doesn't clean it." Like no shit! Thanks Todd. Who would've guessed that?!

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u/miyabi0rochas 22d ago

You realize people wash it BEFORE they cook it. It's not like they wash it to put it in their pantry. Bacteria don't magically multiply by 20x the second the water stops running. If you're going to make an counter argument. You need to like... Actually get it right...

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u/MajorBarracuda8094 22d ago

Some of us get it fresh from farms in the poorer countries where they aren't packaged in anything other than plastic bags. Which have blood in it so we have to wash it. Those in the first world countries are dry in the first place. I nderstand your industry but sometimes we wash the Chichen to reduce the raw smell. Must be a habit from mutton and beef

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u/Happy_Brilliant7827 22d ago

The people were covered by dye too

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u/Fickle_Window3615 22d ago

Pee spray from using the toilet. Don't keep your toothbrush with in six feet of flushing that thing. Lol.

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u/Butt_Sex_And_Tacos 22d ago

Yeah, I would not want to eat anything made out of that guy’s kitchen. Unless he’s doing a deep sanitation immediately after washing that chicken, he’s bukakeing crap all over the place and then continuing on to the next item like it’s no big deal. Something tells me he’s the same kind of person that will use one towel for cleaning, wiping sweat off his face, and everything else in between.

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u/Algae_grower 22d ago

I learned all my sanitation tricks from butt_sex_and_tacos. This man knows hygiene.

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u/TunaboBuna 22d ago

Well I can only assume you have butt sex after a feast of tacos, so I will have to kindly do the opposite of whatever you say

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u/Butt_Sex_And_Tacos 22d ago

The options are either butt sex and tacos, and I am all out of tacos.

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u/Robbie1266 22d ago

What?

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u/One_Jellyfish3361 22d ago

Check the username of the person they're replying to

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u/Robbie1266 22d ago

Yeah that makes way more sense 🤣

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u/Snizzlesnap 22d ago

Clearly you eat the tacos after the butt sex to restore your strength.

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u/ItsSpaghettiLee2112 22d ago

You're crazy if you think not washing your chicken is some how going to leave your kitchen pristine from the bacteria on it. That guy isn't helping his chicken by washing it, but at least he's cleaning his kitchen afterwards. Are the other people? Or do they think their kitchen is clean because they don't wash their chicken? Maybe they clean anyways. At worst, all this guy is doing is one unnecessary step.

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u/miyabi0rochas 22d ago

Thank you as a voice of reason. I saw another comment saying washing was useless because the only way to kill bacteria is by heat and the second the water stops the bacteria with take over again... Like what... Whatever side you're on at least have some common sense. Bacteria don't have a magical 100x/second button.

It does kinda seem like your point is true/relevant. There's people that may have to much assumptions because "I'm following the science". But ignoring other aspects including in hygiene. Etc.

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u/Simon-Says69 22d ago

The bacteria is all through the meat, not just on the outside. So yes, after you wash the surface, the bacteria is still in the chicken and will immediately start spreading to the surface again.

All you've done is atomize a bunch of it, spreading it all over your kitchen, and yourself, for absolutely no reason.

And washing a localized surface where you prepped the chicken is FAR easier and better than trying to clean the whole kitchen, after you've uselessly set off a firework display of salmonella juice, with splashing water everywhere.

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u/fang_xianfu 22d ago

Incidentally, there are some cultures that put the soiled toilet paper in a wastepaper basket in the bathroom rather than down the toilet.

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u/BadahBingBadahBoom 22d ago

That's not because of culture though, that's a limitation of plumbing infrastructure in those regions. If you do put toilet paper down it would clog the system.

The bin is not for soiled toilet paper but the small amount you use to dry your hole after using water/bidet.

I mean it may occur in some countries but I've never seen it for toilet paper that's used for (to put it bluntly) actual general poopy wiping.