The History of Fried Chicken

It may come as a surprise, but believe it or not, fried chicken does not have just one single inventor. The origin of the first fried chicken recipe dates all the way back to the 18th century, English cook Hannah Glasse had the first published recipe in 1747. However, the earliest stories of fried chicken date back thousands of years ago. It came from China, the Middle East, and West Africa. So there is no way to know who the original inventor of the dish is.

American-style fried chicken started in the American South in the 1830s. Many people believe that the recipe came from Scottish immigrants and many others believe that it came from Africa. It is very likely that we will never know who made the first American fried chicken. But there is without a doubt, that the African people enslaved during this time, have made the American version what it is today. They used West African spices in the breading mixture and this caused the dish to quickly gain fame in America.

The Birth of Fast Food Fried Chicken

During the Great Depression, a 25-year-old from Kentucky decided to take over a Shell gas station with a tiny restaurant in 1930. This would be just the beginning of one of the most famous food ventures of all time, which was Kentucky Fried Chicken, which of course went down as KFC. The brand which was created by Harland Sanders in 1930, would eventually be officially born in 1952. Large-scale success began spreading for the business in the 1960s. By 1964 there were already 600 KFC restaurants in the United States and Canada.

Different Versions of Fried Chicken

Throughout the many years of it’s history, fried chicken has continued to change. Anywhere from Nashville hot chicken, chicken and waffles, Buffalo, and many more.

People all over the globe make different versions of fried chicken. Some are very similar to American fried chicken, and many of them are not. There is a wide range of varieties of fried chicken from South Korea, Senegal, and Japan

The South Korean version is a seasoned fried chicken, known as yangnyeom, smothered in a spicy red sauce. The ingredients used in the sauce vary, including gochujang, ketchup, hot sauce, strawberry jam, and more. But what makes it different from American fried chicken is that it is more light and crispy thin skin.

Japanese fried chicken is more simple and is known as Karaage. To start, it is marinated in a mix of soy sauce, ginger, and sake. Karaage chicken batter is also different from American fried chicken because it uses potato starch or powder. So, the intense flavor and soft cushion-like crunch make Karaage chicken stand out the most from the rest of the competition.