安平鎮特產“雞爪麻花”，具有落地即碎、香而不膩，清香純正，入口酥脆，久放色香味不變之特點，因其形似雞爪，故而得名，是豫東名產，被評為1990年度風味小吃。雞爪麻花因其形似雞爪而得名，是縣城西南三十五里安平集的名品。
       
    成品嫩黃，油然透亮，香脆酥焦，風味獨奇。老人食之不硌牙，哺喂幼嬰可代乳，病人吃了生津開胃。這種麻花，能久放而其質地不變，盛于塑料袋，能放半月仍然酥脆如故。即使浸泡在開水里十幾分鐘，其焦香不減，依如新出。 雞爪麻花的來歷據傳有王姓者祖輩以此為業。清世宗雍正（1723）年間，安平集人劉慎，官任監察御使刑部左侍郎，曾以此品進貢。傳至王安平一輩時，因自己年邁乏嗣無后，方傳此技于好友周大江。至今，周家已傳四代，歷100余年。雞爪麻花，折下一股用火點著，可以當紙枚點火吸煙。一股一股相接點著，一個雞爪麻花可照明走一里遠。 昔時，安平集歸屬鹿邑縣,現在屬于柘城縣。地處柘（城）、淮（陽）、鹿（邑）、太（康）交通必經之路，是豫皖蘇魯晉客商聚集的大集，經此者，紛紛買食，以享雞爪麻花奇特風味。
      
    周家雞爪麻花本姓王清雍正年間，今柘城縣安平鎮隸屬鹿邑縣，稱安平集。安平集人劉慎，官任監察御使刑部左侍郎。一次，劉慎回家攜帶著家鄉王家生產的雞爪麻花進貢給皇上�；噬掀穱L后龍顏大悅，連聲稱好，讓御膳房作為貢品月月進貢。從那以后，安平集的王家雞爪麻花就有了皇室貢品之幸。安平集上的王家以烹炸雞爪麻花世代為業，手藝傳男不傳女。
      
    傳至王安平一輩時，王家沒有子嗣。王家一女，自小指腹為婚嫁與周家。但周家那位公子因意外夭折。王家女子按照當時風俗，在其16歲時仍然“嫁”到了周家，并守寡一生，從而立下貞節牌。王家女子“嫁”到周家后，因為王家烹炸雞爪麻花的技藝沒有男子可傳，就把技藝傳給了那位女子。那位女子就在周家把雞爪麻花進一步發揚光大。安平集地處柘城、淮陽、鹿邑、太康4縣交界處，是商賈云集之地。清朝時，過往商家，凡到安平集，必買周家媳婦烹炸的雞爪麻花。從那以后，正宗的王家雞爪麻花就成了周家雞爪麻花。周家雞爪麻花從周大江傳起，至今在周家已傳100多年。 據傳，周家雞爪麻花成品嫩黃、油光透亮、香脆酥焦、風味獨特。在塑料袋中存放半月仍然酥脆如故；將麻花浸泡在開水里，十幾分鐘仍香酥不減，好像剛炸出來的一樣；折下一股麻花可當紙煤兒點火吸煙，如一股接一股地續著點燃，一根雞爪麻花可照明走一里路。有俗語形容周家雞爪麻花：“小兒吃它可代乳，老婆吃它不硌牙。


    A specialty in Anping Town, Chicken-toe Fried Dough Twist, earns this name for its chicken-toe-liked shape. It has characteristics of crisp, fragrant but not greasy, being kept for a long time without getting rotten, etc. It is a famous snack in the east of Henan and has been awarded Local Flavor Snack in 1990.
      
    The finished fried dough twists are bright yellow, transparent, crisp; not too hard for the old, able to be regarded as milk for baby, stimulating appetite for the sick. They can keep crisp putting for half a month in plastic bags for half a month or even soaked in water for over ten minutes, besides, they can make fire to get light with one fried dough twist can light for a mile meters. It’s said that in Yongzheng period of Qing Dynasty, an official Liu Shen in Anping ever paid this food as a tribute to the Emperor, when the Emperor praised it highly so that it became a tribute from then on. When it was handed down to Wang Anping, he passed this skill to his son-in-law, Zhou Dajiang, for he had no son to inherit this skill. Till now, it has been passed for 4 generations experiencing over 100 years. In ancient times, Anping was a transportation junction and a marketing center so that many people bought this kind of fried dough twist to enjoy its particular flavor, which was helpful for its spreading.