安平镇特产“鸡爪麻花”，具有落地即碎、香而不腻，清香纯正，入口酥脆，久放色香味不变之特点，因其形似鸡爪，故而得名，是豫东名产，被评为1990年度风味小吃。鸡爪麻花因其形似鸡爪而得名，是县城西南三十五里安平集的名品。
       
    成品嫩黄，油然透亮，香脆酥焦，风味独奇。老人食之不硌牙，哺喂幼婴可代乳，病人吃了生津开胃。这种麻花，能久放而其质地不变，盛于塑料袋，能放半月仍然酥脆如故。即使浸泡在开水里十几分钟，其焦香不减，依如新出。 鸡爪麻花的来历据传有王姓者祖辈以此为业。清世宗雍正（1723）年间，安平集人刘慎，官任监察御使刑部左侍郎，曾以此品进贡。传至王安平一辈时，因自己年迈乏嗣无后，方传此技于好友周大江。至今，周家已传四代，历100余年。鸡爪麻花，折下一股用火点着，可以当纸枚点火吸烟。一股一股相接点着，一个鸡爪麻花可照明走一里远。 昔时，安平集归属鹿邑县,现在属于柘城县。地处柘（城）、淮（阳）、鹿（邑）、太（康）交通必经之路，是豫皖苏鲁晋客商聚集的大集，经此者，纷纷买食，以享鸡爪麻花奇特风味。
      
    周家鸡爪麻花本姓王清雍正年间，今柘城县安平镇隶属鹿邑县，称安平集。安平集人刘慎，官任监察御使刑部左侍郎。一次，刘慎回家携带着家乡王家生产的鸡爪麻花进贡给皇上。皇上品尝后龙颜大悦，连声称好，让御膳房作为贡品月月进贡。从那以后，安平集的王家鸡爪麻花就有了皇室贡品之幸。安平集上的王家以烹炸鸡爪麻花世代为业，手艺传男不传女。
      
    传至王安平一辈时，王家没有子嗣。王家一女，自小指腹为婚嫁与周家。但周家那位公子因意外夭折。王家女子按照当时风俗，在其16岁时仍然“嫁”到了周家，并守寡一生，从而立下贞节牌。王家女子“嫁”到周家后，因为王家烹炸鸡爪麻花的技艺没有男子可传，就把技艺传给了那位女子。那位女子就在周家把鸡爪麻花进一步发扬光大。安平集地处柘城、淮阳、鹿邑、太康4县交界处，是商贾云集之地。清朝时，过往商家，凡到安平集，必买周家媳妇烹炸的鸡爪麻花。从那以后，正宗的王家鸡爪麻花就成了周家鸡爪麻花。周家鸡爪麻花从周大江传起，至今在周家已传100多年。 据传，周家鸡爪麻花成品嫩黄、油光透亮、香脆酥焦、风味独特。在塑料袋中存放半月仍然酥脆如故；将麻花浸泡在开水里，十几分钟仍香酥不减，好像刚炸出来的一样；折下一股麻花可当纸煤儿点火吸烟，如一股接一股地续着点燃，一根鸡爪麻花可照明走一里路。有俗语形容周家鸡爪麻花：“小儿吃它可代乳，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.