KFC: 16 Things You Didn’t Know (Part 1)

KFC has quite a renowned reputation for their delicious fried chicken, and has received a lot of acknowledgement for their unique recipe. However, there is so much that you don’t know about the fast food chain that even Colonel Sanders won’t tell you! As always, we are here to give you the real scoop on everything there is to know about KFC. We can tell you now that this is all true, but when you see these facts, you still might not believe them! Be sure to come back for our part two and part three articles, to learn the top 11 things you won’t believe about KFC!

Number Sixteen: The Secret Formula. If you have ever thought about trying to get your hands on Colonel Sanders’ secret recipe, good luck doing that, buddy. KFC’s famous 11-ingredient herb and spice blend is locked away in a vault located in Louisville, Kentucky. The recipe is protected at all times by guards, so it is basically impossible to get your hands on. In addition to the recipe, the vault also holds an odd collection of containers holding each of the 11 ingredients. Salt and pepper account for two of those, but the remainders are common household mysteries.

Number Fifteen: Translation is Hard. Here in America, we know the KFC slogan to be the popular “Finger-Lickin’ Good”. Although if you only speak Chinese, you may know the slogan as “Eat Your Fingers Off”. Due to a translation error of the slogan used from 1956 to 2011, it is pretty obvious that a large portion of the Chinese population was a bit fearful of the chain.

Number Fourteen: More on the Slogan. Another odd fact about the slogan “Finger-Lickin’ Good” is how it originally came to be. It was first coined by the manager of a franchise in Salt Lake City. As a customer approached manager Ken Harbough to complain about another customer disgustingly licking their fingers in the store, he simply replied “Well, it’s finger-lickin’ good!”

Number Thirteen: The Recipe Remains. Unlike many of the chains who have altered the recipes of their food to accommodate the modern day, KFC continues to use the same, original recipe it produced in 1940. Including the batter! The only aspect of the winning recipe that has undergone changes is the oil used for frying. The company decided to switch to cheaper fats, such as palm oil, in the 1980’s. As of the 2000’s, they have been using trans-fat-free soybean oil.

Number Twelve: The Pressure Fryer. Contrary to popular belief, KFC doesn’t simply deep-fry their delicious chicken- they pressure-fry it into crispy masterpieces. When pressure cookers were debuted in 1939, founder Harland Sanders modified the creation into a pressure fryer. This allowed the restaurant to produce the same quality chicken that Sanders took so much pride in, in about half the time.