Modern KFC

[Deleted]

Hi guys,

I had an experience at a local KFC near where I live in Victoria, Australia.

Most of the time modern KFC is indeed tasteless or badly cooked. There is not much to say about the taste or aroma. Even if cooked well, it can be pretty average.

I'm 42 yo and so remember a time when I was a kid in the late 70's early 80's when it had a completely different smell and taste.

I would ride my bike past the store just to smell it. Say something like that to a younger person nowadays and you get some pretty strange looks

Anyway, fast foward to 2016 and I have brought chicken from this outlet. Then the next week I went back. Then again the week after. I did this to confirm consistency. It was the same each time. But only from this one store.

I compared it to one in the middle of Melbourne and it made the distinction even stronger.

The chicken had a very strong taste. In this forum, Ken has mentioned 'Euganol' and attempts to replicate. Well this taste had a very strong aftertaste also.

It lingered for at least an hour and was distinctive. I could taste pepper, msg, salt, ginger and then this.

The pepper, a sharp heat. The ginger a slower burning warmth. Then this 'other' taste. I was at a loss. Was this the missing note/taste I have been searching for. It was so strong from this outlet that I wonder if they are doing something different. Zinging? More mix into flour? Not really sure.

The closest thing I could associate it with was Cloves. But Cloves have a sickly sweet smell and taste. This wasnt sweet in the slightest.

So I gave some to my wife and her immediate response was sumac. I questioned this, to which she responded 'then maybe Nigella seeds'.

This rang a bell due to another discussion on this forum where one of you guys (sorry not sure who) mentioned this as a possible ingredient.

Nigella seeds have a peppery quality. Which seems to be an attribute of many ingredients confirmed within OR. Nigella seeds have also been used by modern KFC on 'black buns'.

Just something to think about. This KFC was much better than usual and the strong taste of this mystery ingredient..... it made me think. My recipes never seem to achieve that strong taste or lingering smell.

I am going to try and sub out something from my recipe and try these in a small amount. But if not Nigella seeds then something else... something quite strong with a strong lingering aftertaste.

[Ken_Griffiths]

Jase,

I think this is really worthy of further exploration for two reasons. The black seeds are the right colour for Vial C and the flavour compound for this ingredient is anethole, which is something that is certainly in the taste of the original recipe... a slight anise taste.

Does anyone know the weight of these seeds per teaspoon? I can't seem to find the answer to that?

The other slightly 'off-putting' aspect towards nigella seed is that it is not something I have seen on the Marion Kay order form... and I would have expected them to have sold it separately, but that should not exclude anyone from researching this further.

I'm sure that Nigella Seed has been looked at before by some TCK members, many years ago. I don't know their finding,s nor have I tried the ingredient myself in a home version of original recipe, but I do have it in my store cupboard as we use it when making naan bread and my wife uses it a mix she calls Panch Phoron made as follows (from her recipe book):

Panch Phoron Recipe

Ingredients
* 1 tbsp nigella seeds
* 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
* 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
* 1 tbsp fennel seeds
* 1 tbsp cumin seeds
Preparation Combine all spices in a jar, store away from heat and light.

Let me know how you get on with using this ingredient... I find it quite interesting.

Ken

[Ken_Griffiths]

Jase,

I take it back about Marion Kay ... whilst they do not sell Nigella Seed directly. I see they do sell Panch Phoron which contains Nigella Seed:

marionkay.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/CHEFS_LIST_2016.pdf

It's described as Black Onion Seed on my store-brand container and known also as Kalonji. The Wikipedia article describes it tasting of Pepper, Oregano and Onion and there is mention of menthol and anise.

So it's certainly something to look at.

[ThePieMan]

Hey, just saw this. Interesting comments, Jase. I certainly mentioned Nigella as a possible "alternative" black spice, but haven't done too much with it in recent times. I do like them though.

In relation to your comments about Victorian KFC  you're right, the flavour has changed over time.


BTW, I stumbled across this article: www.bizjournals.com/newyork/news/2016/04/04/kfc-redo-stores-return-to-colonel-chicken-method.html and at first thought it was an April Fool's gag. Does anyone know anything more about this, retro-initiative? 

[ThePieMan]

Recently I was in Shanghai again, and took the chance to sample some of the local O.R. Chicken offerings. It was freshly cooked, and surprisingly better than anything I've tasted in Germany. Thought you might like to look at a couple of pics which I snapped.





Walking into a Chinese KFC the dominant smell is of fried chicken, but it is clearly, "Hot and Spicy" Chicken, which is exceedingly popular.

Cheers.

[ThePieMan]

Today I was in Braunschweig, in Germany. I stopped off at a KFC Restaurant, got out of the car, and it was windy, BUT as I walked I walked into a narrow stream of KFC Smell - fries, chicken, something indiscernible but reminiscent of the past. "Is that the Note?"

Unsure but excited by walking back and forth in the carpark with my nose in the air, sniffing, sniffing, sniffing at that tantalising smell, whilst a couple of smokers watched me with mild bewilderment. I went into the restaurant.

Man! This restaurant has aroma! Smell that, smell that... Still undefinable, not the same as the past, but... similar... why? they cook more varied stuff than what they used to.

I ordered an Original Recipe, three pieceset with mashed potatoes and gravy, french fries (pommes) and black coffee.

I went to a table, sniffed at the chicken, pulled at the breading, tasted, sampled, masticated the morsels and deliberated on what I was tasting.

Salty, savoury, white pepper, perhaps the heat of black pepper, a bready sweetness that hinted of gingerbread men and ... something... and a lingering, hint of liquorice deep in the back of the throat.

The chicken was overcooked. First sniff I thought the oil had either burnt or was old. Two pieces of breast and ribcage, and a drumstick. The meat on the drumstick was halfway up the bone. The breasts oozed juice but were dry, hard and nasty. It was not tender, perfectly cooked cook, by any means. So why did it ooze? Its injection marinated. Doesn't stop the chook from being overcooked.

After eating all the breading and a few mouthfuls of the meat, I threw the rest. When I licked my fingers, it was to remove the fat, it wasn't sticky as I remember it, but still the licking did entertain.

As I drove on, I discovered a curious thing. When I sniffed at my finger tips, different pairs of fingers had different aromas attached to them, and as time went on the aromas changed.

I am confident now, about allspice, ginger, pepper, salt, msg, garlic, and borderline with clove. There was still this spicy sweetness in the fat residue, and I'm hesitant to say mace, or perhaps the cassia buds. Its certainly not nutmeg, or cinnamon bark.

On the savouriness, sure msg is there, we know this. but recently I've been sprinkling powdered rosemary on tomatoes in small amounts and it does leave a lingering savouriness. As such, I'm kinda torn between Sage and Rosemary, both could do the job.

On the liquorice taste, I'm really torn. What options do we have? Parsley, Dill Weed, Fennel Fronds, Dill Seed, Fennel Seed, Anise seed, Tarragon... The problem with the leaf options is that they are delicate and heat sensitive, so can easily burn away in the oil. Whereas with the seeds, perhaps there is more of a chance of them lingering around after the cooking. The liquorice is subtle, it is not in the aroma, but in the aftertaste, suggesting its somehow dispersed into the chicken fat and the oil in the breading, and lumbers down the throat at a leisurely pace.

Anyway. This is the first restaurant in YEARS where I've actually smelt anything outside or noticeably inside.

TPM