Seven legends about KFC and Colonel Sanders that will amaze or make you laugh
Interesting facts about KFC (photo: Getty Images)
KFC is one of the largest fast-food brands in the world, with more than 23,000 restaurants in 135 countries. With such popularity comes a lot of myths and legends. How Stuff Works tells about seven most common legends about KFC that still arouse interest, although they have no true basis.
KFC does not use real chicken
In 1991, the company changed its name to KFC, shortening it and eliminating the word "fried", which had a negative image, as well as the word "chicken", as they planned to expand their menu.
This caused rumors that the company no longer uses real chicken, but instead mutants with multiple legs or heads.
In fact, KFC has always used 100% natural chicken meat, which has been confirmed even by lawsuits. The brand changed its name to focus on a variety of products, not just chicken, but did not change the essence of the menu.
Colonel Sanders was a real army colonel
Garland Sanders did serve in the U.S. Army, but he did not attain the rank of colonel. He received the rank of colonel only in 1936 from the governor of Kentucky as an honorary title given to prominent citizens of the South.
This title became the basis of his advertising strategy for the KFC brand. He used this title to create a recognizable image and become a symbol of the company, which helped him in his marketing campaigns.
Garland Sanders as a colonel (photo: Wikipedia)
Colonel Sanders stole a secret chicken recipe
There is a myth that Sanders stole the recipe for his "11 spices" from a black woman. However, there is no evidence of this.
Sanders' recipe became successful due to his innovative cooking methods, in particular the use of pressure for rapid frying, which helped him develop his restaurant business. This secret recipe became the basis of KFC's success and remains a great secret that other chefs are trying to recreate.
Garland Sanders was a kind soul
In his private life, Sanders could be a calm person, but in business, he was not peaceful. His career was quite tumultuous, from working for the railroad to opening his own restaurants.
He sold his company for $2 million in 1964, but continued to advocate for food quality. Sanders became a symbol of the struggle for better food quality, even when his business experienced difficulties due to changes in ownership.
Colonel Sanders cursed the Japanese baseball team
There is a story about how fans of the Japanese team Hanshin Tigers threw a statue of Sanders into a river after the team won the championship in 1985. This was the beginning of the "colonel's curse".
However, this incident had nothing to do with the team's legacy, and the myth of the curse appeared only two years later. This story became popular among fans, who used it as an explanation for the team's subsequent failures.
KFC restaurants are in every corner of the world (photo: Wikipedia)
A KFC customer was served a fried rat
The myth that KFC served a fried rat has been circulating for many years. Although there have been cases of customers suing over suspicious objects in their food, there is no evidence to support this myth.
One case in 2015, when a man posted a photo of a fried rat, was disproven by a DNA test that showed it was a regular piece of chicken. Incidents like this only reinforce urban legends, but the company has strict quality control standards.
The secret recipe is no longer a secret
There are several versions of KFC's chicken recipe, and while some of them look convincing, the company claims that none of them are correct.
However, there are attempts to recreate the recipe, and some fans have even published their own versions, which, however, do not come close to the original. The mystery of the recipe still remains one of the biggest features of the brand, which attracts interest from people around the world. KFC continues to claim that the original recipe is under protection and no one has been able to reproduce it correctly.
