In this Monday, January 23, 2017 photo, chicken feet snacks shop owner Leung Kin-kung mixes chicken feet with seasonings in Hong Kong. Saturday marks the start of the lunar Year of the Rooster and families in China will reunite for festivities, fireworks and food. While tradition calls for feasting on “auspicious” foods, many will also munch on staple snacks like “phoenix claws”, the Chinese name for chicken feet. With reptilian looks and lowly status from scratching around farmyards and coops, humble chicken paws are considered a throwaway in the West, where farmers often grind them into feed for pets and livestock. But across much of Asia, where diners prefer eating meat on the bone, they're a considered a delicacy. “Not only are they tasty, but it's believed they have a lot of collagen so if you eat them it's good for your skin and makes you look beautiful”, said Liza Chu, author of a guidebook to Hong Kong dim sum dishes including chicken feet. At this time of year, Chinese like to eat foods that are considered lucky like dumplings and fish. Chicken feet don't actually have any special meaning for the Year of the Rooster, though that doesn't mean it's not a good excuse to eat them, Chu said. For the uninitiated, chicken feet have a chewy, fatty and succulent texture, bordering on the gelatinous. In Hong Kong, they're served at dim sum teahouses with garlic, chilli and black bean sauce. Or they can be paired with a beer while watching football matches, said Leung Kin-keung, who runs a chicken feet stall. “I grew up eating chicken feet”, said Leung. "We were not wealthy" so the family used every part of the chicken, he said. In Manila, Philippines, street vendors grill skewers of them over charcoal. “They taste different from ordinary chicken parts. I like eating the bony parts”, said Jacklyn Sun. “Chicken feet are delicious to eat”. (Photo by Vincent Yu/AP Photo)





In this Monday, January 23, 2017 photo, chicken feet snacks shop owner Leung Kin-kung, left, hands chicken feet takeaway to a customer in Hong Kong. Saturday marks the start of the lunar Year of the Rooster and families in China will reunite for festivities, fireworks and food. While tradition calls for feasting on “auspicious” foods, many will also munch on staple snacks like “phoenix claws”, the Chinese name for chicken feet. (Photo by Vincent Yu/AP Photo)





In this Monday, January 23, 2017 photo, a girl reacts after tasting a chicken feet at a snacks shop in Hong Kong. Saturday marks the start of the lunar Year of the Rooster and families in China will reunite for festivities, fireworks and food. (Photo by Vincent Yu/AP Photo)





Phoenix Claws (鳯爪 fung zaau). These are deep-fried chicken feet stewed and simmered in a sauce made from fermented black beans, bean paste, and sugar. An alternative version is the 白雲鳯爪 bak wan fung zaau, where the chicken feet is marinated in rice vinegar, sugared rice wine, salt, and minced ginger before being served cold. (Photo by Vincent Yu/AP Photo)





In this Monday, January 23, 2017 photo, chicken feet snacks shop owner Leung Kin-kung testes a chicken feet in Hong Kong. (Photo by Vincent Yu/AP Photo)





In this Monday, January 23, 2017 photo, chicken feet snacks shop owner Leung Kin-kung chops off chicken feets in Hong Kong. (Photo by Vincent Yu/AP Photo)





In this Monday, January 23, 2017 photo, chicken feet snacks shop owner Leung Kin-kung, left, and his wife Leung pack chicken feet takeaway for customer in Hong Kong. (Photo by Vincent Yu/AP Photo)





In this Monday, January 23, 2017 photo, chicken feet snacks shop owner Leung Kin-kung chops off nails of chicken feet in Hong Kong. (Photo by Vincent Yu/AP Photo)