Breaded wings are a dish that made KFC famous all over the world. But the tastes of consumers in different countries are very different. To please them, the company constantly adds new items to the menu, many of which look amazing: chicken waffles, chicken “dough” pizza, and others.
From concept to final dish
New recipe development at KFC is the responsibility of 18 innovation teams with a network presence worldwide and local managers responsible for introducing new products in each country. The process of making a new dish includes four stages. First, a study of local consumer tastes and needs is done. For example, in Japan, they prefer chicken, and in the Philippines, many dishes contain cheese, which is considered a symbol of prosperity and wealth in this country. Consumer preferences are related to the company’s business goals, current food trends, and ingredients available in the region.
Taste the innovation
If a new dish is prevalent in one region, it can be tried in other regions and even added to the menu of several countries at once. This happened, for example, with “pizza which was initially served in KFC restaurants in the Philippines. It’s a hybrid of pizza and fried chicken, using chicken breast instead of a dough base, which is cooked to create a crispy cornflake crust around the edges, just like an authentic Italian pizza. The base is covered with branded cheese sauce, and toppings are added on top – mozzarella, chicken ham, and pineapple chunks. Today you can try pizza in 15 countries worldwide – Germany, Netherlands, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Mexico, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama, Puerto Rico, Korea, Thailand, and India. Moreover, in different countries, the filling can be different – for example, in Japan, spinach, beef, cheese, and hot peppers are added to the dish, and mayonnaise is included in the sauce.
Here are five more dishes from the KFC world menu in different countries:
1. Chicken and Waffles in the United States
In the American South, the combination of chicken and fluffy waffles – Belgian – does not look as unusual as the Russians. This dish is traditionally served at restaurants in Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky (the birthplace of the KFC chain) for breakfast and dinner. Inspired by a proven recipe, KFC chefs have created their version. The dish is served in two variations: as a burger, where two waffles take the place of buns, and the cutlets are pieces of chicken fillet fried in a spicy sauce, or separately, but on a plate. In the latter case, maple syrup is served to guests, which must pour liberally over the plate contents.
2. Chickadilla of Spain
The chickadilla, a quesadilla, is a Mexican tortilla with various fillings, appearing on the menu of Spanish KFC restaurants. In the KFC version, the chickadilla consists of two pieces of fried chicken fillet, tomato, Doritos chips, yogurt sauce, and melted cheese – all placed in a wheat tortilla and pressure-cooked on the grill.
3. Christmas “dark” burgers in Russia
It is made with chicken breast fillet, cheddar cheese, lettuce, mayonnaise sauce, and onion. In addition to the fragrant bun, reminiscent of Russians’ favorite “Borodino” bread, the burger has another interesting ingredient – cranberry sauce. They created the recipe with an eye to national traditions: berries and rye flour are widely used in Russian cuisine.
4. Chachos in Canada
At Canadian KFC restaurants, Chachos is another Mexican-inspired dish. The recipe is based on nachos – baked corn chips with cheese and other additions. Instead of chips, KFC uses deep-fried pieces of tender fillet served with the traditional toppings for nachos: cheese sauce, diced tomatoes, hot jalapeño peppers, sour cream, and green onions.
5. Vegan burgers in the UK
A meatless burger replacing chicken with a corn vegetable protein patty breaded in Colonel Sanders’ signature blend of herbs and spices and an egg-free vegan mayonnaise was launched in several UK restaurants. KFC is currently considering introducing veggie burgers in various markets.
