Jump to content

Japan makes merry with shortcake and fried chicken

Porker

By Porker,
in Lite & EZ

 Share

Recommended Posts

Porker

Porker

Turbocharged

TOKYO—Christmas is coming, so it’s time to reserve fried chicken and cake in Japan.


Consumption of those two foods has so firmly come to mark the informal holiday here—Dec. 25 isn’t an official day off—that few Japanese are aware other countries prefer somewhat different Christmas cuisine.


“I had no idea,” said 22-year-old university student Ryuya Morimoto, informed that chicken and cake aren’t American yuletide staples.


“When I was a little kid, we would eat chicken as a family,” he said, “and then have Christmas cake, with a little chocolate piece on the top that said, ‘Merry Christmas.’ ”


Families like his make this the busiest time of the year for Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets in Japan.


KFC lets customers reserve fried chicken as early as October’s end. Those who try buying buckets on Christmas Eve risk having to stand in line up to six hours under the watchful eye of a Santa-suited Colonel Sanders.


Japan’s Christmas-chicken tradition dates to the early 1970s, when a non-Japanese customer came into a Tokyo KFC store one day to buy fried chicken as a turkey substitute, according to the chain. KFC, still struggling at the time to win Japanese over to eating greasy food with their fingers, hatched the idea for a new Christmas tradition.It was a hit among families, and a lasting ritual was born. “Christmas is boring without Kentucky,” said 18-year-old high-school student Yuna Nakajima, using the name by which KFC is popularly known in Japan.


Ms. Nakajima has already reserved her chicken this year, planning to enjoy the traditional meal on Christmas Eve.


A spokeswoman for KFC Holdings Japan Ltd. said December’s sales every year are double regular monthly sales. The publicly traded company operates under a franchise agreement with a subsidiary ofYum Brands Inc.


For the first time this year, KFC Japan is letting customers reserve online at many of its stores, after a trial last year. Customers can pick up their Christmas baskets from Dec. 19 through Dec. 25.


Recently, some of the nation’s ubiquitous convenience stores have been crowing that they offer a better deal.FamilyMart Co.’s “premium chicken” basket starts at around $20. The chain, with more than 11,000 stores in Japan, says in its advertising: “If there isn’t fried chicken, it isn’t Christmas.”


By contrast, turkeys and pigs are under no particular stress at this time of year in Japan, as the American and European custom of eating those meats at Christmas is hardly known.


Student Ms. Nakajima gasped when she heard that turkey was among America’s yuletide preferences.


“Christmas and chicken are one,” she said.


The KFC in Japan is the real deal! Please go try it when you're there


↡ Advertisement
  • Praise 2
Link to post
Share on other sites
Adrianli

Adrianli

Hypersonic

I never knew that. I only know new year is very important holiday for Japanese. All of them will go back to their village and visit their parents. Then bring some goodies back to the office to share.

 

When I was there early last year, get to try various village snacks that the managers brought back. None brought back any chicken for me to try. [grin] Probably they ate it themselves liao. [laugh]

Link to post
Share on other sites
Porker

Porker

Turbocharged
  • Author
  On 12/21/2015 at 2:55 AM, Lala81 said:

is the KFC there nicer? i thought all still frozen from USA or whever their meat supplier is ...

 

I've tried KFCs in the following countries and the Japanese KFC is the best. They are closest to the original taste we're so familiar with back in the early 80s.

 

1) USA - great

2) Pakistan - good

3) Egypt - good

4) UK - good

5) Spain - good

6) Malaysia - good

 

I don't know why the local KFC tastes relatively bad. Maybe they don't really stick to the formula.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Lala81

Lala81

Hypersonic
  On 12/21/2015 at 5:33 AM, Porker said:

I've tried KFCs in the following countries and the Japanese KFC is the best. They are closest to the original taste we're so familiar with back in the early 80s.

 

1) USA - great

2) Pakistan - good

3) Egypt - good

4) UK - good

5) Spain - good

6) Malaysia - good

 

I don't know why the local KFC tastes relatively bad. Maybe they don't really stick to the formula.

 

ha u really a KFC fan.

I've probably eaten Macs in most countries I've been to, but never KFC heh.

  On 12/21/2015 at 3:24 AM, Ender said:

No xin xin chilli sauce, all KFC around the world cannot make it. This is sin ga por lang speaking..

 

totally agreed!!!  [laugh]

Link to post
Share on other sites
Mockngbrd

Mockngbrd

Supersonic
(edited)

i got nice moomin cup  . come to think of it, ya, it does taste like how it was when i was a kid. but still more oily... 

kfc-moomin-mug01.jpg

Edited by Mockngbrd
Link to post
Share on other sites
Lala81

Lala81

Hypersonic
(edited)
  On 12/21/2015 at 6:36 AM, Pinobii said:

I also heard from lau lang that the kfc chicken in japan is really finger licking good, it is the best chicken

 

SG, eat texas or Arnold's lor. LOL.

 

I mean unless i visit japan like going there very often like porker, i still won't waste a mealtime on KFC haha

 

Edited by Lala81
  • Praise 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
Pinobii

Pinobii

Hypersonic
  On 12/21/2015 at 6:41 AM, Lala81 said:

SG, eat texas or Arnold's lor. LOL.

Yeah, arnold's i havent try before, texas is not bad (better than kfc for sure) but not many outlets

 

Btw, do u know if this texas chicken is the same as the 1980s texas chicken in sg? I only know there was one at bukit batok mrt, after it was closed, dont recall finding any texas chicken anymore, thot they had disappeared [:p]

Link to post
Share on other sites
Lala81

Lala81

Hypersonic
  On 12/21/2015 at 6:45 AM, Pinobii said:

Yeah, arnold's i havent try before, texas is not bad (better than kfc for sure) but not many outlets

 

Btw, do u know if this texas chicken is the same as the 1980s texas chicken in sg? I only know there was one at bukit batok mrt, after it was closed, dont recall finding any texas chicken anymore, thot they had disappeared [:p]

 

No idea regarding the latter.

 

I haven't tried arnold's also but quite a lot of good reviews.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Mockngbrd

Mockngbrd

Supersonic
(edited)
  On 12/21/2015 at 6:45 AM, Pinobii said:

Btw, do u know if this texas chicken is the same as the 1980s texas chicken in sg? 

yea same.. but updated.. i think last time it was at Wisma?

 

I got a BTTF delorean micro machine-like toy. 

Edited by Mockngbrd
  • Praise 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
Pinobii

Pinobii

Hypersonic
  On 12/21/2015 at 7:03 AM, Mockngbrd said:

yea same.. but updated.. i think last time it was at Wisma?

 

I got a BTTF delorean micro machine-like toy.

Thanks! I wasnt sure but I remember loving that texas chicken when I was a kiddo...keke [:p]

  • Praise 2
Link to post
Share on other sites
Porker

Porker

Turbocharged
  • Author
  On 12/21/2015 at 7:31 AM, Pinobii said:

Thanks! I wasnt sure but I remember loving that texas chicken when I was a kiddo...keke [:p]

Aren't you middle age at that time
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...