GA lawmakers pushing for official state chicken wing flavor. Here’s which one and why

Lemon pepper chicken wings are not only finger-licking good and Atlanta-made, but they could also be Georgia’s official chicken wing flavor.

House Bill 1013 proposes to make lemon pepper the official state wing flavor and would follow a delicious line-up of new state foods, like cornbread as the state’s official bread and Brunswick stew as the official state stew.

But why put all this focus on lemon pepper? Well, simply put: culture and family.

“It’s a way to highlight the culinary palate of Atlanta, the cuisine of the state and the people that make that cuisine,” said Representative Eric Bell. “Those mothers, fathers and families working in these restaurants, the quality matters. And lemon pepper wings bring joy.”

In its origin, lemon pepper was created in Atlanta restaurants in the late 80s, early 90s as an alternative to buffalo wings – the flavor combines spicy buffalo seasoning with zesty lemon and savory melted butter, ultimately making a mouth-watering, taste-bud explosion. Need we say more?

What do you think about lemon pepper becoming Georgia’s official chicken wing flavor? Let me know in the comments or email me at cmadden@mcclatchy.com

Chelsea Madden

The Telegraph

Chelsea is a service journalism reporter who began working for McClatchy in 2022. She was born and raised in Middle Georgia and lives in Forsyth. She attended Wesleyan College for undergrad and a few years after that, went to SCAD for an MFA in writing. Outside of work, Chelsea likes to watch Netflix, read books in the thriller genre and chase her toddler around.