Why are they called Buffalo Wings?

They originated in Buffalo New York. One of my old girlfriends was from Grand Island and made killer wings.

Got it, KK! Back in 78 or 79, I saw an article in a food service magazine about them, and started serving them. (I leased a kitchen in a very busy tavern.) The article was about the business in Buffalo that started the trend, and gave the recipe. Somewhere in the Greyed Family Archives, I still have that article. I am fairly certain that the sauce used was Frank's Louisiana Hot Sauce, since bought out by Durkee's. Making the sauce is really simple - Frank's, celery seed, and butter. The wings are deep fried, then drained for a minute. Immediately after draining, put them in the sauce. The longer they are in the sauce, the hotter they get. Now, I omit the celery seed, and add granulated garlic.

I saw in the recipe forum that someone suggested Crystal Hot Sauce. I agree, and Crystal is about half the price of Frank's. Most stores have a house brand that is almost identical in taste to both of those. The ingredients are the same: aged cayenne peppers, distilled vinegar, salt, and xanthan gum (or something similar) used as a thickener and to help keep the solids in suspension.