When Colonel Sanders sold his fried chicken recipe for the first time to owners of restaurants in the 1950s, the tagline "its finger-lickin' good' good!" was born. Today that tagline is seen on every single KFC package you buy alongside Colonel Sander's smiling facing with his "well-shaped goatee." As a matter of fact, Colonel Sanders became famous because of his unique and irresistible 11 spices and herbs which is still a mystery or better still a trade secret today.
Fast forward today, KFC food sales chain has been ranked the second biggest in the world, even though it started from a small town in Kentucky. Oh Yes! This global maestro was once operated as a small roadside restaurant ran by an aged 60-year-old, who was not sure of the future of the business, even though he dreamed it to be big. Today, we see KFC in almost all the countries of the world.
Incredibly enough, KFC is the first Western Fast food chain to penetrate the Chinese market. It has definitely created history by competing with the regular Chinese Cuisine, something no other Western Food chain has been able to achieve. It’s obvious Colonel Sanders will be smiling down from heaven, happy at the big feat KFC has achieved over time.
Apparently, the crunchy and crispy chicken is the main food ambassador of KFC. However, this global fast-food chain has extended their menu to different parts of the worlds to meet the specific needs of customers in different geographical locations.
KFC has been innovative enough to create different finger-licking meals in different countries. So hang in there and you’d see 25 of them especially if you'd be traveling soon.
But be careful when you read this post because you're going to be drooling all the way.
25 Shrimp Burger – China
In China, it appears that KFC is seen more as a fast food restaurant for the middle class of the economy. This concept is growing and well-accepted because of the table service and the setting of the restaurant that is modeled at its different outlets.
The Shrimp burger was a menu created by KFC China when a scandal arose about the chickens being fattened by drugs, in China. KFC China leveraged on the crisis and introduced the Shrimp burger which replaced chicken patty in a zinger with a shrink patty. This menu obviously "blew through the roofs," as everyone was ordering it, seeing it as a safer choice.
24 Cheese-Topped Burger – Philippines
The Cheese-Topped Burger in the Philippines has faced the "two sides of a coin" as it has both fans and critics saying something either good or bad, whenever it is mentioned. Some customers love the innovation of having to eat cheese over a burger, because of their love for cheese. However, other customers believe it’s absolutely greasy, weird and messy.
A chicken patty mixed with the original KFC recipe, alongside a rich garlic parmesan dressing is what you'll taste in the Cheese-Topped Burger. Also, the burger bun is made tastier and cheesier, with the cheese melted on top of it. KFC leveraged on the love for cheese by the Filipinos and introduced this product. The menu is getting a lot of attention, thus, the Chain isn't ready to take the menu down any time soon.
23 Scoff-EE Cup - United Kingdom
The way you see the Britt enjoy the taste of the "Scoff-ee Cup" menu should say a lot to you already. It's a delicious recipe that you should surely try at least once before you see your deathbed. In fact, the menu has a tart shell, coffee and a wrapping which can be literally eaten.
Oh yes! You can go ahead and eat the cup too because the KFC white and red wrapping with the face of Colonel Sanders is formed from sugar frost paper, which is actually edible. Also, the coffee comes from of the best coffee brew in Seattle, in the US and the shell is formed from a white chocolate biscuit which is heat-resistant.
So the next time you’re in London, and you visit any KFC outlet, don't be amazed when you see people eating their coffee cups.
22 Deep-Fried Corn Soup – Japan
If you love deep-fried food, corn or soup, then you’d love this menu from Japan. The deep-fried corn soup is a perfect combination of delicious and unique. That’s why the Japanese can't get over it. The menu includes a blob of pottage corn rubbed with a batter that's dropped in a deep fryer.
In the end, this blend gives a beautiful looking crunchy golden brown puff that brings out an awesome aroma with the corn bits and creamy soup as it flakes apart. You will obviously get that tingling feeling, the moment the flavors touch your mouth so much that you will always want to have the corn soup every day of your life.
A taste of this delicious menu is enough to make you permanently relocate to Japan, just to have this menu every morning.
21 Vegetable Strips – India
You may be wondering what the vegetable strips are, especially if you don’t stay or come from India. Oh well, since KFC decided to open up an outlet in India, they had to think of a recipe that would excite the taste buds of the Indians.
This is how they came up with the vegetable strips. The vegetable strips caused the chicken to be ditched in the dumps because the deep-fried batter found its way around vegetables. Well, what do you expect when most people in India are vegetarians?
The vegetable strips are beautifully colored thanks to the mix of carrots, corn, peas, and potato. This food could pass as a side dish or a snack. However, they have other vegetarian options like the vegetable rice bowl, the Paneer Zinger, and the Potato Krisper Burger if you want to explore.
20 Parmesan Chicken with Truffle-Flavored Cheddar Sauce – Singapore
When you think about Singapore, you should also think about the Parmesan chicken with truffle flavored Cheddar Sauce if you happen to walk into a KFC outlet. Before you order this dish, you must be a big fan of cheese to appreciate it, at least that’s the only caution attached.
I’m sure you understand the chicken aspect but the sauce part is rather long and confusing. The reason why it’s called Parmesan chicken is that the chicken is powdered with parmesan cheese. But this process comes after the chicken has been breaded with golden crumbs.
After this, a large amount of truffle-flavored cheddar sauce is poured all over. This food has a way of tickling your taste buds due to the parmesan sprinkles. If you prefer a refreshing meaty alternative, you can grab this dish.
19 Porridge – China, Singapore, Malaysia
If you love to grab a great breakfast from KFC in Asia, all you need to do is make it in time for this amazing meal that includes the Zinger porridge from Malaysia.
Even though this dish is available in Malaysia, China, and Singapore, the original porridge recipe came from none other than Singapore. When you hear the word “Porridge” in Asia, it simply refers to boiling rice in so much water until it softens. However, the thought and reality of just rice could be plain and boring.
The only way KFC brings excitement to this dish is by pairing it up with ingredients that appear to be a perfect match like pork and pickles to give it a savory taste and finalize it with Sander spices. Some Asians just love to start their day with a bowl of this delicious meal and it sustains them for the rest of the day.
18 Shrimp Doughnut – Thailand
KFC in Thailand came up with the amazing shrimp doughnut that involves stuffing minced shrimps in breaded mozzarella cheese. When they are done with the stuffing, it’s placed in a batter.
Once it leaves the batter, it heads straight for deep frying until its golden brown. Don’t let the name of the dish confuse you because what you’d be eating is an onion ring-shaped food that has little pieces of shrimps on it rather than fried dough.
The doughnut, in this case, is a side dish that appears to go well with a Zinger meal. However, you can choose to order the doughnut alone.
17 Egg Tart – Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China
If you’re in Asia and you need some breakfast to kick-start your day, KFC provides the best egg tarts that quench the slightest hunger pangs.
Well, there’s no mince of words when I say that they provide the best egg tarts. This shouldn’t be a surprise because they’ve got their recipe from the best. When I say the best, I mean “Margaret Wong.” This woman is Famous in Macau for making really nice flaky tarts with silky egg custard.
When she prepares it, there’s usually a very long line of people waiting outside her stall that can’t wait to lay their hands on her piping hot tarts which is the best way to enjoy it. After the adoption of her recipe by KFC, it has been an instant hit. Hence, if you can’t find your way to Macau, KFC would knock your taste buds with their amazing tarts.
16 Dipping Fries – Romania
Dipping fries is just an answer to prayers for those that are impatient when it comes to smothering tones of sauce on their fries. The dipping fries are hollowed-out fries that have the shape of fried potato skin. The reason why the fries are hollowed-out is to make sure all the dip you want to stay firm on the snack.
With this, you can be sure that every piece is properly coated with some tangy, spicy, or barbeque kick.
If you’re in Romania, you can choose to stick with the ketchup you know or go ahead and be creative with your fries by pairing it up with curry sauce or sweet and sour garlic. Better still, you can put in all the sauces on the same piece if you choose to.
15 Yakiniku Bento – Indonesia
If you’re new to Yankiniku rice, welcome to the club – but the truth is, it’s not a new concept. However, the thought of having this rice in a bento is something new coupled with the fact that it’s sold in Indonesia.
Even though it’s a combination of an American, Indonesian, and Japanese cross, I can assure you that it’s quite easy to swallow. This dish is a combination of lettuce, crispy mushrooms, and white rice. This dish isn’t complete without its tomato sauce and classic chicken bites.
KFC Indonesia takes their time to arrange every piece of this food in compartments and this contributes to making it quite easy to eat.
14 Nacho Box – Australia
If you’re mistaking the Nacho box for a box of Tortilla chips, cheese, and salsa then you’ve got it all wrong. In 2014, KFC Australia released the Nacho box alongside the Nacho range.
The reason for this was because they were trying to cash in on the Mexican face that was popular in the country then and taking over. The funny thing is that when they came up with their promotional image, it looked really mouthwatering but when the box was presented to customers, they perceived it as a hot mess.
One good advice; it’s best to overlook the messy presentation and grab your cutlery because the chicken has the same taste.
13 Green Curry Chicken Rice Bowl – Thailand
When you find yourself in Thailand and you’ve run out of food ideas, the green curry chicken rice bowl is a fantastic option. Before you disagree, wait till you know that the “gang kiew whan”, which is green curry, is made from a lot of coconut milk and green chilies.
This food finishes in first place for being the spiciest and milkiest curry concoction in Thailand. When you think about it, the coconut milk gives the dish a hint of sweetness and controls the spice to an extent.
The spices that are used to prepare this dish have a way of permeating deep into the bowl of rice and you can choose to pair it up with crispy chicken or green curry spread on the meat.
12 Golden Egg – Malaysia, Brunei, and Hong Kong
This snack combines sweet, spicy, hot and salty all at once. If you’re familiar with the salted egg craze in Asia, then you’d understand what the golden egg crunch is about.
For those that aren’t familiar with it, the golden egg is chicken that’s spiced with a hot and spicy mix. After this, the chicken is marinated in salted egg alongside sweet basil and curry leaves. No doubt the golden egg would stimulate all your taste buds at once as you experience the excitement of flavors.
If you’re used to eating a salted egg, there’s a probability you’d prefer to eat the chicken skin before digging into the flesh because it’s crispy. Those that aren’t so used to salted eggs may just prefer to soak the spice in mashed potatoes.
The only issue with this dish is the fact that it’s prepared in KFC only when the Lunar New Year celebration takes place hence if you’ve missed it, gear up for the next one.
11 Chizza – Japan, India, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore
Before you call this dish chicken pizza, it’s best to call it a chizza. This is an exciting dish that throws away the thick or thin pizza crust and replaces the crust with a piece of breaded chicken. That’s not all because the chicken is further embellished with pineapple chunks, mozzarella cheese, and chicken ham.
If you think this is perfect, wait till KFC touches this dish up with their signature cheese sauce and you’d understand what perfect really is.
But the truth is you can only experience the meal this way if you have the time to build it otherwise what you get would be like an idea of what is described here.
However, the additional toppings that fill the piece of chicken make the dish fantastic.
10 Zinger Double Down King - South Korea
It’s no more a surprise that the South Koreans has taken the lead in the Zinger double down feud. This overtaking happened when the South Koreans added an extra salacious slice of meat to their double down blended with fried chicken bun, against the Americans who consume the double down sandwich alone.
Now, this meal has got a ton of calories, so if you’re already on the big side, this menu will not be so much of a good option. However, the menu still has tons of protein within. You’ll definitely love this burger if you’re a natural fan of meat. It’s surprising how the South Koreans still remain in their slim figures after consuming so much of this menu from their KFC outlets.
9 Corn and Philly Chicken Sandwich – Brazil
KFC Brazil had to go into partnership with Philadelphia on this one. They got the cream cheese from Philadelphia, blended it with their chicken sandwiches which had an infusion of their traditional cream corn.
The sound of cream cheese and chicken together doesn't sound strange considering the fact that many of us as kids licked up our cream cheese from bagels. Yeah right! It’s what we enjoyed as kids. Now, picture yourself scooping cheese from a chicken fillet! How does that taste? Of course, yummy!
What about a little blend of crisp and a little cheese, what does it leave you with? The answer- A perk-me-up on humdrum days. Yeah right!
The choice is yours, but I won’t “yum” this up, even for a million bucks!
8 Paper-Wrapped Chicken – Malaysia
It's quite strange to see your chicken wrapped in a paper in order to get cooked. However, this is not a new thing for the Asians, especially in Malaysia. In fact, this concept has been practiced and it has been popular since the 1970s, in Malaysia.
They say the meat juices are kept intact by the paper since it won't be able to escape. It also makes the deep-fried or steamed chicken far more juicer than when it's paperless.
For one, I think the function of the paper is to enable you to hold the thighs of the chicken without getting your fingers soiled – not too sure about deep-frying or steaming the chicken with wrapped paper.
Nevertheless, it's a delicious delicacy in KFC Malaysia that brings in many customers to their outlets as they order for a paper-wrapped chicken and some mashed potatoes by the side.
Good heavens! That’s some meal!
7 Okonomiyaki Chicken - Hong Kong
It’s certain that the closeness between Japan and Hong Kong has greatly influenced a lot of Hong Kong’s culture and even the kind of food they eat. Okonomiyaki is a savory pancake that originates from Japan. Garnished on top of the pancake are the syrupy and dense Okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise bonito flakes, and seaweed flakes.
Due to the high demand, KFC Hong Kong had to use the bone-in fried chicken in place of the pancake base. This is actually a better option since the toppings of the Okonomiyaki balance better on a flat platform. This is obviously delicious, and there is one place it has got to be.
In your mouth!
6 Double Down Dog – Philippines
If you have a thing for hot dogs, then this menu might probably go well with you. It's an incredible item that has got a hot dog meshed up in a chicken rather than a bun. Now, that may sound weird, but trust me the taste isn't.
It's obviously a case of "love at first bite," especially if you love the chicken fillets from KFC and you're a great fan of hot dogs. Instead of ketchup or mustard, a cheese sauce is splattered all over the hot dog. This menu is going bunkers all over the Philippines.