WHY IS CHICKEN CALLED CHICKEN BUT MUTTON ISN'T CALLED GOAT?
September 30, 2026
Have you ever wondered about this?
We say chicken when we talk about the bird.
But when we talk about sheep meat, we say mutton.
Why?
There is a story behind these names.
Long ago in England, the Norman French came to power after the Norman Conquest of 1066.
French became an important language among the ruling and elite groups, while English continued to be spoken by the common people.
This difference in language also became visible in food.
The people who raised and looked after the animals continued to use English words such as sheep.
But the meat that reached the tables of the wealthy was often referred to using the French word mutton, which came from Old French moton, meaning sheep or ram.
So, the animal and the meat ended up having different names.
And chicken?
The word chicken already existed in Old English as cicen and continued into Middle English as chiken.
Interesting, isn't it?
But you know what?
We don't fall for the names.
We fall for the taste!
Whether you call it chicken or mutton, what really matters when the plate arrives is the flavour.
We have our own ways of enjoying them too.
Chicken biryani.
Chicken 65.
Chicken kebab.
Mutton biryani.
Mutton curry.
Mutton kebab.
And so many more!
Different names.
Different dishes.
Different ways of cooking.
But one thing remains the same.
We love good food!
So, if you are looking for delicious chicken and mutton dishes in Chittoor, visit Abhiruchi Restaurant at Hotel Sindhu Towers.
We have a variety of dishes for you to try.
Come, taste them and decide for yourself.
And maybe give your favourite dish a name based on your level of satisfaction!
Because names tell us what the food is called.
But taste tells us whether we want it again!
