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Weird History Food is going out for some KFC facts. Who hasn't fallen in love with the unique and mouthwatering flavor of KFC’s deep-fried chicken? At the very least, you might recognize the colonel and his famous red bucket of chicken. Let's enjoy this delicious bucket o' video about Kentucky Fried Chicken.
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Ah, KFC, for when you want fast food to feel like you actually have a family to share it with
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But what's the deal with the international franchise's huge success story? And more importantly, is that guy even a real colonel
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Today on Weird History Food, we're spilling the secrets of Kentucky Fried Chicken
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Okay, time to get out those little plastic sporks, because we're diving right in, like a side of mashed potatoes
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Before it became one of the largest franchises in the world, KFC's fried chicken empire had humble beginnings as a diner attached to a gas station
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Huh, that sounds diesel-icious. That's right. Harland Sanders was a shell oil franchisee in Corbin, Kentucky
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and started cooking different foods to improve sales. He quickly realized that his chicken was a winner
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and soon his gas station turned into the first official KFC restaurant
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called Sanders Court and Cafe. Originally, Sanders served chicken dishes as well as steak, ham, and more
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But he soon found his customers gravitating to just one kind of protein
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Eventually, business got so good, Harlan was able to quit the gas life forever
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Now that's finger-licking good news. But, uh, wipe your hands first. They kind of smell like fumes
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Here's another fun fact about the colonel. Colonel Sanders was never actually a colonel of anything other than the fried chicken army
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That didn't stop him from trying to join up to serve his country, though. When Harlan was just 16, he falsified a birth certificate to get into the Army
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But his stint didn't last long, as he was honorably discharged from Cuba just three months later
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So where did he get the name Colonel? Turns out, in Kentucky, the title of Colonel is not just reserved for military officers
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It's actually a high honor given to individuals who've done exceptional work for their community, state, and nation
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What kind of outstanding service did the colonel do to earn that name
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According to KFC lore, which is helpfully reprinted on their website, in 1935, Ruby LaFoon, the governor of Kentucky
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dubbed Harlan the colonel in recognition of his contributions to the state's cuisine
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Presumably, LaFoon granted Sanders the title by knighting him with a drumstick
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Kentucky was henceforth associated with fried chicken, and Harlan was forever known as the colonel
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Colonel Sanders, shaken, not stirred, but also fried. Harlan went as far as to change his appearance to appear more colonel-like
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which is apparently what that look is supposed to be. And he so thoroughly lived up to the title that he was redubbed in 1949
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becoming the only person to be colonelized twice over. Colonel Sanders was on a mission to sling his chicken across the nation
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And by 1955, he had sold his gas station and hit the road to try his hand at the franchise game
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Three years prior, he'd convinced his friend Pete Harmon to sell the chicken at his do drop-in restaurant
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in Salt Lake City. And sell it they did. After adding Sander specialty to the menu sales increased by a whopping 75 But Harmon wasn just riding Sanders Extra Crispy Coattails He contributed to the KFC legacy by creating the original chicken bucket
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Weird that more fast food restaurants haven't tried the bucket approach, it seems to have been the key to KFC's success
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They just needed a name for their venture. A painter friend of Sanders named Don Anderson came up with Kentucky Fried Chicken
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KFC was catching on, quickly becoming the McDonald's of chicken across the nation
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as restaurants agreed to become licensed KFC establishments. One early chef impressed by the Colonel and Harmon's offerings was named Dave Thomas
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That's right, Mr. Founder of Wendy's himself. And it was actually Thomas who came up with the logo for the chicken buckets
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As it turns out, KFC was a collaborative creation. The Colonel's primary contribution was coming up with a recipe and bringing the swag
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The colonel created such a big reputation for himself that even 39 years after his death
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his personal belongings are still being auctioned off to the highest bidder. Some of the items that were up for auction include the colonel's signature white suit
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his Stetson hat, belt buckle, and smaller items that were treasured by fans of the famous fast food chain
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These articles of memorabilia came into the hands of Dick Miller, who was the colonel's personal driver
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Miller drove Sanders around the country to different KFC franchises. And although he speaks fondly of the Colonel, he has also noted that Sanders was not the easiest boss to work for
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In fact, Miller only remembered being given one day off in his entire career of driving the Colonel
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Chicken never sleeps. However, despite the challenges, Miller did come to own this incredible collection of the Colonel's belongings, which were sold by heritage auctions
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His explanation for selling such treasured items was simple. He knew that his children would sell them if he didn't do it before he died
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That's a really good reason. Even the most open of kitchens can still find plenty of places to keep secrets
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Few, though, are as well hidden as that of Colonel Sanders' 11 herbs and spices
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It's a mystery so big, KFC hired two different companies to split production of the recipe
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so that neither one would know the complete formula. Yum Brands, the parent company of KFC, claims to still have the original recipe
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handwritten by the colonel himself in 1940. But that handwritten chicken spell is reportedly locked in an underground vault
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under constant video surveillance. That isn't to say you can't buy your own supply of these coveted herbs and spices
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as long as you don't mind contraband chicken. Frugian claimed in 2018 to have cracked the colonel's recipe
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a mystery that had been so heavily guarded since the 40s. It was like casually announcing you could solve a Rubik's Cube from the inside out
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using only prime numbers and a shrink ray. Desperate chicken junkies were more than happy
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to satisfy their cravings by turning to Frugian's famous seasoned breading. Yeah, they couldn't directly call it KFC's secret recipe
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but it's possible to read between the lines of Frugian's description of its popular item, which
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claims to recreate your favorite high street fried chicken takeout at home Considering they don really have Chick in London it not hard to guess whose fried chicken they talking about Even though we all know the KFC recipe is a closely guarded secret
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these spice bag purchasers swear that it's as close to the real thing
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as anyone's ever going to get. KFC was the first Western chain to open a restaurant in China
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Over 30 years later, it's still the best performing fast food chain in the country. with more than 8,100 outlets in over 1,600 cities
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That's a lot of herbs and spices. In fact, a 2013 study by a research firm named Milford Brown
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concluded that KFC was the number one most powerful foreign brand in China
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That's clucking nuts. KFC opened its first Chinese restaurant in the capital city of Beijing in 1987
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By 1988, the Beijing restaurant had the highest volume of sales of KFC in the world
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But that doesn't mean it was all gravy. In 2001, China was struggling to import potatoes
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leading to a shortage of our favorite side, the hot mash. Well, second favorite after the mac and cheese
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Wait, do biscuits count as a side? OK, maybe third favorite. But the important thing is mashed potatoes are up there
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Previously, China's KFCs were targeted by citizens protesting the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade
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during the NATO air campaign against Yugoslavia back in 1999. But even with those setbacks, KFC still
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had some huge successes in China. In 2002, China got its first drive-thru restaurant
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And guess whose chicken tendies were being served? That's right, the Colonel's
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Japan also has a special claim over Colonel Sanders' fried chicken, KFC's all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant in Osaka
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An all-you-can-eat KFC that's both awesome and terrifying, like King Kong suddenly appearing in a monster truck rally
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Customers are given an hour and a half to gorge themselves on as much fried chicken as they can fit in their bellies
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And we don't know you, but 90 minutes sounds like more than enough time to eat all of the popcorn chicken in the entire universe
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And let's not forget about the other popular menu items they have like pasta, sausages, and salads
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Whatever, salads. The restaurant has over 100 seats and plenty of space for families
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with small, energetic children looking to eat their weight in famous bowls. And if the aesthetics of the place don't please you, the smell certainly will
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But let's talk about the most important thing, the taste. As it turns out, the recipe was adapted to accommodate local preferences
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So if you're from a Western country, you might notice a slight regional difference
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But don't worry, you'll still recognize that classic KFC flavor. Just don't forget to leave room for dessert, like coffee jelly and ice cream
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And if you need to wash the taste of coffee jelly out of your mouth, don't worry. There's
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all-you-can-drink beer for a small price upon entry. Unlimited chicken and beer. Is this heaven
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Because it sounds like heaven. Piles of all fried chicken and coffee jelly aren what made KFC big in Japan The restaurant is also part of the country biggest holiday tradition Now as holiday rituals go buying a bucket of fast food may seem a little modern
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Then again, the Americana Santa Claus comes from a Coca-Cola ad from 1931
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So don't throw drumsticks in glass houses. Japan was only 40 years late to the game when the first KFC opened its doors
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But within a year of opening, sales were sluggish. The country, seemingly, had no appetite for American fried food
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As the holidays approached, an entrepreneurial store manager named Takashi Okawara realized
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that you could repackage two distinctly unpopular types of Americana to Japanese customers to
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great success. He began telling Japanese customers about the American tradition of eating buckets full
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of fried poultry during the holidays, a yuletide party barrel, so to speak
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Okawara started selling barrels himself, along with bottles of wine. You know, two sides, a biscuit, and a nice Chianti
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Soon, the public was lining up to try Japan steak on the Kentucky Christmas bucket
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Okawara proposed that the other KFC Japan outlets follow his barrel lead
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which he leaned into by erecting giant statues of the colonel for customers to take pictures with
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Kind of like a Colonel Sanders clause. He does kind of look like a Coca-Cola ad
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Today, it's not unusual to see lines wrapped around the block on Christmas
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as unlucky denizens who missed pre-ordering often have to camp out for spots days in advance
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An estimated 3 million Japanese families will eat KFC on Christmas, which makes approximately one-third of the chain's annual sales per holiday
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Meanwhile, Okawara would go on to become the CEO and president of KFC Japan from 1984 to 2002
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Some say Okawara's bucket story doesn't hold water, And the billion-dollar idea was actually invented by an ad exec attempting to drum up chicken sales
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But even Okawada eventually confessed to being responsible for promoting Kentucky Christmas
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an entirely fictional American holiday, to market KFC to Japanese customers. The colonel would be proud
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Ladies and gentlemen, let's talk about the king of decadence, the Double Down Burger
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The mad scientists at KFC decided to permanently raise the bar of sandwich creation with this
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delectable monstrosity. The Double Down consists of bacon, melted cheese, and barbecue sauce smashed between
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two pieces of deep fried chicken. It is not for the faint of heart or for anyone trying to maintain a healthy diet, but let's
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be honest, nobody horking down one of these babies is counting calories
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The Double Down was first announced on April Fool's Day in 2010, leading many to believe
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it was a prank because the sandwich was so deliciously unhinged. Originally, the Double Down was supposed to be a limited time deal
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But only one month after its release, KFC announced it would be putting obesity back on the menu for good
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After enjoying its 15 minutes of fame thanks to a spot on The Colbert Show and making the rounds in a pre-TikTok era of YouTube challenges
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the sandwich was ultimately discontinued in 2014, which is probably for the best
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Our hearts may be broken, but at least they're still beating for now