Move over Colonel, the Koreans are on the way

If you love fried chicken and can’t wait to sit down to your next plate of it, then you and I are probably not going to be dining out together anytime soon.  Fried chicken in any shape or form, from buffalo wings to chicken fingers, simply do not do it for me.  For others though that crispy skin, moist meat, and inexpensive price tag is dinner heaven. 

Frying foods has a long history and in America the history goes like this: Scottish settlers, mainly in America’s South were keen and able fryers (they still are) and aptly fried-off available meats such as chicken.  The Africans that were brought to work on southern plantations incorporated seasonings and spices that were absent in traditional Scottish cuisine thus enriching the flavor.  People liked this addition and they really liked fried chicken and now billions of dollars worth of fried chicken is sold throughout the world.

Fried Chicken is one of those foods that are synonymous with America, much like Apple Pie and Mac and Cheese, and like those dishes, this one is chic again.  Take the much lauded chef David Chang at Momofuku in New York City; he’s serving up two whole chickens, one cooked Southern style with a buttermilk and Old Bay batter, the other with a spicy Korean-style glaze. The chicken comes with Chinese pancakes, pickled sides and a hefty $100 price tag.  The Korean style of frying that’s used at Momofuku and in an increasing number of other restaurants is arguably one of the most interesting methods of chicken frying.  The Korean technique renders out the fat in the skin, transforming it into a thin, crackly crust that’s glazed with a chili sauce, making it the most beloved of all bar food in Korea.  

Not to be outdone, however, fried chicken hype is back in the hands of the biggest chicken frying empire.  The big wigs at KFC have come up with two major promotions launched days apart. First up, the start of the week brought the launch of the KFC Double Down (launched in North America, April 12):  Essentially a sandwich with two KFC fried chicken fillets acting as the slices of bread, in between are two pieces of bacon, melted slices of cheese and the Colonels special sauce.  Packing 32 grams of fat and 1,380 milligrams of sodium, this big guy is no lunchtime chicken salad sandwich.  Two days later, KFC launches its Buckets For the Cure, a charity effort to raise $8.5 million for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (the largest, grassroots breast cancer movement in the world).  Sales of Special Pink Buckets of grilled or regular fried chicken will donate 50 cent, per bucket, to the cause for the next 6 weeks.  With my keen eye for the obvious it’s interesting that KFC releases one of their unhealthiest products in years (particularly as they’ve been shifting towards a healthier image) and follows it up, days later, with a shiny corporate drive to support breast cancer survival.  I’m guessing there was some internal fighting in the KFC boardroom between those counting the cash and those controlling the image of the company. 

Personally, I’ll pass on the Colonel’s coronary-inducing-cuisine but I have to admit that I’m almost intrigued by the combination of Korean Fried Chicken and a cold beer, so if you’re paying and the chef’s able, then I’m game!  


* The first photo is from a really interesting Korean blog, Zen Kimchi: www.zenkimchi.com/FoodJournal