Perspective on Fried Chicken around the World

After a long and exhausting day, for many people, the only thing they want to do is bite into a piece of crispy, searing fried chicken. One of life’s greatest pleasures is, after all, the satisfying feeling of sinking your teeth into the crispy skin to reach soft, delicate meat. But aside from your favorite KFC, there are a ton of interesting fried chicken dishes available in fast food restaurants and street vendors all over the world. A few of them are shown here.

Karaage, Japan
Chicken thighs are cut into bite-sized pieces and marinated in soy sauce, sake, mirin, and spice to make Karaage. The chunks are then deep-fried and dusted with potato or wheat flour before being served with kewpie mayo and lemon. Interestingly, a recognised Karaage association in Japan has named Nakatsu one of the top cities to eat the delicacy.

Yangnyeom-Chicken, South Korea
Korean fried chicken, sometimes referred to as “the other KFC,” has gained enormous popularity inside and outside Korea. The most popular fried chicken dish is Yangnyeom-Chicken, which consists of seasoned and fried chicken pieces with a thin, crispy crust covered in a tangy, sweet, and spicy sauce. A crimson, garlicky sauce made with ketchup, spices, and gochujang (fermented red chilli paste), is poured over chicken pieces coated in flour and potato starch and fried twice.

Chicken 65, India
It is widely acknowledged that A.M. Buhari developed the Chicken 65 recipe for the Buhari Hotel in Chennai in 1965. When making the dish, boneless chicken pieces are marinated in yoghurt and spices, then dusted with rice flour and deep-fried. Curry leaves, minced garlic, and green chillies are used to season the dish.

Backhendl, Austria
Backhendl, a dish that has been a speciality of Vienna since the 18th century, is produced by seasoning and rubbing a small chicken with lemon juice before cutting it into pieces and serving it either whole or occasionally deboned and flattened. The pieces are breaded and fried after being dipped in flour and egg wash. The meal was once frequently served with fried offal (organ meats), such as chicken heart and liver.

Pollo Fritto, Italy
Pollo Fritto, a well-known Tuscan meal, is made of chicken pieces marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, and herbs before being dipped in batter and deep-fried. It is served with lemon slices and parsley on the side. During Hanukkah, Jewish-Italian households offer a dish similar to Pollo Fritto that includes nutmeg in the seasoning mix.

Coxinha, Brazil
Coxinha, an iconic fried chicken delight prepared with chicken thighs and served in the shape of a drumstick, is one of Brazil’s most well-known street meals. Coxinhas are two-part fried pastries that resemble croquettes. Butter, flour, potato, or cassava are combined with chicken broth to produce the pastry. The filling comprises shredded chicken thighs, onion, garlic, spices, and catupiry (a soft local cheese). After being filled and formed, the pastry is battered in egg and breadcrumbs before being fried.