KFC rice
| Alternative names | Devil cooked rice |
|---|---|
| Type | Takikomi gohan |
| Course | Main course |
| Place of origin | Japan |
| Region or state | East Asia |
| Invented | 1974 |
| Main ingredients | Rice, fried chicken |
| Ingredients generally used | Chicken stock, soy sauce, salt, black pepper, scallions |
KFC rice—also known as devil cooked rice,[1] devil's takikomi gohan (Japanese: 悪魔の炊き込みご飯, romanized: Akuma no takikomi gohan), Kentucky takikomi gohan (Japanese: ケンタッキー炊き込みご飯, romanized: Kentakkii takikomi gohan),[2] and KFC takikomi gohan (Japanese: KFC炊き込みご飯, romanized: KFC takikomi gohan)[3]—is a variation of takikomi gohan which utilizes fried chicken. It is prepared in a rice cooker. The rice is often mixed with chicken stock and soy sauce before adding the fried chicken. Per its name, the fried chicken used is typically the Original Recipe chicken sold by the American fast food chain KFC, though the dish can be made with any other type of fried chicken. The dish is generally said to have originated in Japan, where KFC is notably popular.
History
According to Mashable, KFC rice originated from a 1974 marketing campaign that encouraged Japanese families to cook the dish at home.[4] A similar recipe using the same name was published by English-language Japanese culture website SoraNews24 in 2013, albeit using additional ingredients such as diced tomatoes and shimeji.[5]
KFC rice was popularized in December 2019 following the publication of an article detailing its preparation in the Japanese publication Gadget News,[6] and it was popularized online in East Asia and the Western world as a "KFC rice cooker hack" for making a simple, flavorful rice dish. Some sources, such as Ilyas Sholihyn of Singaporean lifestyle website AsiaOne, have suggested it was intended as a quick, cheap Christmas dinner, owing to the timing of the article's publication and the popularity of KFC in Japan around Christmas.[7]
Despite its name, KFC rice is not actually an official KFC menu item sold in any region. Though KFC does sell rice dishes in certain regions—such as chicken katsu rice bowls in Japan,[8] jollof rice topped with fried chicken in Nigeria,[9] and zongzi in China[10]—these are separate dishes that are prepared differently from KFC rice.
Preparation
Per numerous sources, including KFC's official global website, KFC rice is prepared by mixing uncooked rice with chicken stock and soy sauce, then steaming it with two or more whole pieces of fried chicken in a rice cooker. The fried chicken and other ingredients impart an umami fried chicken flavor to the rice without affecting the chicken's texture. After cooking, the fried chicken is shredded and mixed with the rice, and the bones are removed. It can be served as-is, though many recipes call for it to be topped with salt, black pepper, or scallions.[6][11][12][4]
Reception
Ni'Kesia Pannell of Business Insider prepared KFC rice herself and stated "it didn't taste as flavorful as I thought it would" despite her expectations using KFC's 11 herbs and spices, but noted it was "really easy to customize", with the additions of hot sauce, butter, and additional soy sauce improving it in her opinion. She recommended it for those on a tight budget or for meal prep, and suggested experimenting with the addition of vegetables and using fried chicken from other fast food chains such as Popeyes and Bojangles.[13]
Sukhbir Cheema of Mashable SEA noted KFC rice would negatively affect any plans of maintaining a healthy diet, and suggested adding chopped carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, or lettuce to balance it out.[4]
See also
References
- ^ Cheema, Sukhbir (2019-12-19). "The 'Devil Cooked Rice' is easily the tastiest dish anyone can make". Mashable SEA. Archived from the original on 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ Aritake, Aki (October 27, 2020). "チキンをまるごと！「ケンタッキー炊き込みご飯」のレシピ、実際に作ってみたら想像以上だった…". macaroni (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- ^ "そのまま食べるよりケンタッキー・フライド・チキン感が得られる…魔改造グルメ「KFC炊き込みご飯」が話題に". まいどなニュース (in Japanese). February 10, 2021. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- ^ a b c Cheema, Sukhbir (2019-12-19). "The 'Devil Cooked Rice' is easily the tastiest dish anyone can make". Mashable SEA. Archived from the original on 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ Dixon, Scott (2013-12-24). "Super easy rice cooker recipe: KFC rice!". SoraNews24 -Japan News-. Archived from the original on 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ a b Yoshida, Tatsuki (2019-12-07). "KFCオリジナルチキンの炊き込みご飯が全ての鶏好きを笑顔にするウマさ 「これぞチキンライス」「3合はいける」 ｜ ガジェット通信 GetNews". ガジェット通信 GetNews (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ Sholihyn, Ilyas (2019-12-13). "Internet salivates at Japanese method of cooking rice with KFC Original Recipe chicken". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ McGee, Oona (2021-05-28). "KFC sells rice bowls in Japan, but are they finger-lickin' good? 【Taste Test】". SoraNews24 -Japan News-. Archived from the original on 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ Nurse, Earl (2016-01-15). "KFC's secret recipe for Africa". CNN. Archived from the original on 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ Shen, Timmy (2018-06-21). "KFC's sold-out rice dumplings: a taste test". Goldthread. Archived from the original on 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ Kyndall, H. (2020-11-18). "How to Make KFC Original Recipe Rice". global.kfc.com. Archived from the original on 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ Zhang, Jane (2019-12-13). "Japanese method of cooking rice with 2-piece KFC original recipe chicken looks absolutely delicious". mothership.sg. Archived from the original on 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ Pannell, Ni'Kesia (2020-01-10). "I tried the KFC rice cooker 'hack' from Japan, and it didn't live up to my expectations". Insider. Archived from the original on 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2023-08-22.