7 weird KFC facts you probably never knew

Just as for every world-famous brand, there are dozens of weird KFC facts that have been kept under wraps. If you’ve been at the top of one of the world’s most contentious industries, it follows that you’re going to have a few skeletons in your closet.

Read More: What is the KFC chicken recipe?

Despite its status as a global powerhouse, the origins of KFC still remain shrouded in mystery. Behind every bucket is a history of covert recipe secrecy and dodgy business dealings.

To shed some light on the world’s most famous poultry, here are seven weird KFC facts you probably never knew.

There are some seriously weird KFC facts – Credit: Pixabay/chpeck

1. The Rule of Two

It’s no secret that the exact formula for KFC’s signature blend of herbs is closely guarded. However, the extent to which the company protects its secrets is truly mindblowing.

Not only is the slip of paper that bears the recipe locked behind concrete walls, motion sensors and a crack security team, but only two KFC executives are allowed to know the recipe at any given time.

The KFC spice blend is a closely guarded secret (Credit: Alamy/Quality Stock)

2. Behind the Spice

Though the secret of the 11 herbs and spices is undoubtedly the best-known thing about the chicken, the ingredients were only half the story.

Arguably Colonel Sanders’ biggest revelation was his use of a pressure fryer to cook his chicken, rather than the more conventional, and far slower, frying pan.

The KFC spice blend can be found in every kitchen (Credit: Alamy/Ilya Starikov)

3. In Every Kitchen

Though the chicken’s recipe remains under lock and key, Sanders did drop occasional hints as to its contents throughout his career.

For instance, he admitted that the recipe includes both pepper and salt, and later added that the ingredients are “on everybody’s shelf”, according to the Kentucky Encyclopedia.

The ingredients for the KFC spice blend are in every kitchen (Credit: Pixabay/monicore)

4. It’s all in the Oil

Until 1993, all KFC chicken was fried in vegetable oil. However, a rise in price saw American franchises change to a mixture of palm and soybean oil. This was not mirrored around the world.

In Japan, for instance, restaurants opted to use more expensive cottonseed and corn oils, meaning that – though the seasonings remain the same – the chicken may taste completely different depending upon where you are.

KFC restaurants around the world use different oil to cook (Credit: Alamy/Adam Gasson)

5. The Secret is Out

For all of KFC’s extensive precautions, a team from the Chicago Tribune believe that they have managed to crack the code behind the herbs and spices. After being tipped off by a nephew-by-marriage of the Sanders family, and much trial and error, they believed that they could produce a flavour nearly indistinguishable from the original.

The formula they came up with involved 2/3 tbsp salt, 1/2 tbsp thyme, 1/2 tbsp basil, 1/3 tbsp oregano, 1 tbsp celery salt, 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 tbsp dried mustard, 4 tbsp paprika, 2 tbsp garlic salt, 1 tbsp ground ginger and 3 tbsp white pepper.

The KFC gravy recipe has changed many times over the years (Credit: Alamy/Collins)

6. All Out of Sauce

The chicken might have been unchanged since the 50s, but one key component of the Colonel’s arsenal has been lost to history.

KFC moved away from Sanders’ original recipe for KFC gravy, replacing it with something simpler, cheaper and easier to make. Upon tasting the new product in the 1960s, the Colonel was apparently crestfallen.

KFC for Christmas is a popular tradition in Japan (Credit: Alamy/Quality Stock)

7. Japanese Christmas

It might be an all-American institution, but there’s only one country that can claim to be the colonel’s biggest fan.

KFC is so popular in Japan that it has become the go-to Christmas food of choice, with families prepared to wait for hours to get a bite of original recipe before Santa arrives. Even America can’t claim to take it more seriously than that.

Read More: Chef Marcus Samuelsson talks fried chicken and Michelin stars

They might seem like invincible pop culture icons, but every single fast-food brand has some skeletons in the closet. Though they might not necessarily be bad things, there are definitely some secrets behind all our favourite foods. As we’ve just seen, KFC is no exception.