JUST A GENERATION AGO, chicken wings were considered scrap parts, and shrimp was a hallmark of restaurants with maître d’s in starched collars. No one outside the Middle East had heard of hummus, and the nuts Americans served each other were mostly peanuts (which actually aren’t nuts at all). Fast-forward to today. By the pound, wings are now the most sought after part of the chicken, and we expect shrimp as a protein option in everything from fast-food burritos to frozen rice bowls. Salted peanuts seem humdrum, so we’ve upped the ante on our consumption of tree nuts like almonds and pistachios. The grocery bill is coming due.
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