KFC's New Trans-Fat Free Oil

I recently dumped a story into my Google Reader starred items about KFC and their process of switching to a frying oil free of trans-fats. At the time (just days ago), it was only being trialed in select cities.

Well, it could have been rolled out within the past week or so. I stopped by a KFC today in a rush to get lunch before class. I grabbed an order of Crispy Strips, and munched them on the way to school. I immediately noticed the difference in taste and texture.

First, they taste great! I eat at KFC with what I can only refer to as alarming frequency, so I'm quite familiar with the taste of their food. The new strips had a lot more spices on them, and from the story linked above, this was to counteract the oil's tendency to wipe out the flavor profile of the "11 herbs and spices". Well, you can definitely taste (and see) them now.

Second ... the strips are noticably darker in color. While before they were a light tan or beige, they are now a deep golden brown, bordering on reddish. They almost look over-fried, but they are not crunchy ...

Which is why the "Crispy Strips" might need a new name. These were definitely not "crispy", tasting almost "bready" at times, and the texture was totally different than what I was used to. This is not to say that I didn't like them, I actually enjoyed them quite a lot. It was just ... different.

Finally, the strips were absolutely deviod of any grease! This was what really amazed me. I don't know if it was the oil, or if there's a new cooking process, or if it was just extra care in the face of a "new product", but these things were dry and not at all greasy. I didn't even have to wipe off my hands, and the box looked clean as a whistle (though I didn't check very thoroughly.

Frying is not an inherently bad way to cook food. Done right, the food only cooks in the oil and doesn't absorb any (as long as the oil stays hot enough to convert the water in the food into steam, which pushes out of the food and keeps the oil at bay). The new Crispy Strips at KFC are definitely fried food done right.

I'll have to check some of the other foods some other day, but these just snuck up on my unexpectedly.