This is what happens if you eat too much fried chicken

Channel News Asia ^ | 09 May 2021 | Neo Chai Chin, Peh Yuxin

[nickcarraway]

Talking Point host Steven Chia puts his health on the line again, this time as he digs into Singapore’s love affair with fried chicken. Is there a healthier alternative?

There have been several fried chicken trends in Singapore since the first fast-food fried chicken chain, KFC, opened in 1977.

There was ayam penyet (Indonesian smashed fried chicken) from around 2007, Korean fried chicken from around 2010 and gourmet fried chicken from around 2017, said food writer Annette Tan. The result is a “nice variety of fried chicken” available.

Eateries specialising in fried chicken that have opened in recent years include Birdfolks and Arnold’s. It is also among the top orders on food delivery platforms foodpanda and GrabFood. These days, one can even have it with ice-cream.

So it sounded like a foodie’s dream assignment to tuck into fried chicken daily for a fortnight. After a similar experiment with bubble tea, Talking Point host Steven Chia took up this challenge befitting Colonel Harland Sanders himself.

Along the way, he found out why fried chicken is irresistible to Singaporeans, the health effects of bingeing on the dish, and ways to make it more palatable to consumers watching their cholesterol and waistlines.

Eating fried chicken is a sensory experience, said chef Sameer Chablani, who was a cashier and one of the kitchen staff at KFC when he was only 14 years old.

There is the smell that entices customers before they enter the outlets, as well as the sight and sound of others biting into the batter. “Before you even get to the taste … your mind’s been made up,” he said.

Effective marketing, such as the launch of limited edition flavours, also keeps customers coming back. According to Chiara Ang, a senior writer and host at food site EatBook, audio marketing is an

[jonrick46]

Fry chicken in safflower oil.

[MAAG]

[Flaming Conservative]

Fried chicken is my favorite meal. When I cook it, I usually just cook wings, because it’s our favorite part. We have a regional chicken fast food place around here, called Chicken Express. They make the best chicken around. We usually drive 20 miles to the closest restaurant after church on Sunday, and buy enough to last us a couple of meals. Cracker Barrel now has fried chicken, and it’s really really good, too.

[central_va]

Best show on cable. Dr. Now is geniuous.

[Jumper]

You can’t say that... instead say you crave watermelon and basketball.

[Georgia Girl 2]

In the south you cannot eat too much fried chicken.

[dfwgator]

My Vietnamese friend told me that when she was growing up she thought Colonel Sanders was Santa Claus.

That's funny, I thought he looked more like Ho Chi Minh

[Organic Panic]

Air fryers are great.

[perfect stranger]

Very similar reason my Grandfather always preferred ham over chicken or turkey.

[Slyfox]

Thanks for that.

My first taste of KFC was in the early 1960s during the fall reveal of the new car models at a dealership in Flint Michigan. My Dad took us kids. In the fall, two major events took place. The new TV shows began and watching them pull back the canvas on the new car models.

There was a table with chicken on it and I grabbed a leg. It was delicious. I grabbed another and a third one when my Dad told me I had had enough. It was one of KFC's very first roll-outs.

I went to work for KFC when I turned 16. One day I worked the late shift and we had three barrels worth of chicken left. I asked the manager if I could take it all home. He said yeah. When I came home at 11:00, my parents called my aunt and uncle up and asked them if they wanted some KFC.

A very happy time was had by all and they are still talking about that night I came home with three barrels.