What Are the 11 Herbs and Spices In Kentucky Fried Chicken?

Photo: KFC and YUM

Today the famed 11 herbs and spices at KFC are a closely guarded secret by YUM, the corporation that owns the copywriter to KFC's chicken, but it wasn't always so. According to Colonel Sanders' nephew, the recipe created back in the day by the Colonel was posted in the entryway of the diner he opened. Several years ago the Chicago Tribute published a photograph of what the newspaper called the leaked recipe written in the Colonel's handwriting. In business, if the food is delicious people will come even if they can make it at home IMHO. Because. People do both.

It's more than likely the following is the recipe for Original Kentucky Fried Chicken:

Ingredients:

Photo: The Chicago Tribute

One chicken (or 8 pieces)

1 cup of buttermilk

2 eggs

2/3 tablespoon salt

1/2 tablespoon thyme
1/2 tablespoon basil
1/3 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried mustard
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons white pepper

Directions:

1) Mix the buttermilk and eggs in one mixing bowl then soak the chicken pieces in the mixture for 30 minutes or more. Return the chicken to the refrigerator while soaking.

2) In a 2nd bowl stir the 11 herbs, spices, and flour together and coat the chicken pieces by dipping and turning.

3) Instead of frying the coated chicken (which you are free to do in very hot vegetable oil) why not brush oil on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and bake the spread-out chicken pieces in a 400-degree F oven for about 25 minutes. Test the chicken at 20 minutes to see if it's done and add baking time as needed.

If the above ingredients aren't Colonel Sanders' original recipe, they are close enough. Making the chicken at home lets you adjust the salt to your tastes and needs. Plus you can bake instead of frying it if you wish. When you don't feel like cooking you can still buy a bucket of chicken at KFC.

In college near the end of the school year, one of our professors decided to teach our class outdoors on campus. During the class, I saw a limo pull up and out walked an elderly Colonel Sanders in his signature white suit. He entered our administration building a few yards away. Here's to the memory of the Colonel, who must have given money to our school.🐔

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How Many Grams Of Protein Should You Eat?

Photo: iStock free images

Since childhood, we've been told proteins are the main building blocks of the body. Every body part you can think of from muscles and organs to skin, nails, enzymes, and hormones is made of protein. And, what makes up protein? Smaller molecules called amino acids that link up to form chains. These chains of proteins link into longer chains to fold into complex shapes forming organs, muscles, hair, etc. (Source: Healthline.)

According to Healthlne, the best sources of protein are meats, fish, eggs, dairy products, quinoa, legumes, and nuts.

Aminal sources of protein are complete proteins as they contain all 20 amino acids. Many plant sources like legumes have some, but not all 20 amino acids and need to be combined with whole grains (or a glass of milk) thereby also becoming excellent sources of complete proteins. Bean soup with cornbread, peanut butter on slices of whole grain bread, and hummus on pita bread are tasty combinations forming complete proteins. 

So how many grams of protein do people need to eat each day to stay healthy? Well sources differ on the amounts, but a general consensus seems to be to get at least .36 grams of protein per pound of body weight; therefore a 130 pound woman would need about 46 grams of protein, while a 160 pound man would need about 57 grams of protein per day. Another recommendation is to eat 3 meals a day with each meal consisting of 30% - 35% of your daily protein requirements.

Doctors also note: A high protein diet can help dieters by decreasing their hunger and thus food intake and calories per day. Older people may benefit by eating as much as 50% more than the recommended daily grams for an average man or woman. Pregnant women and people recovering from injuries also seem to need more protein than the average person.

Although it was once speculated that too much protein could damage one's kidneys, this notion was never supported by science, and the benefits of consuming more protein far outweigh any feared harm.

When it comes to selecting foods to eat to meet your daily protein needs, follow your tastes and preferences and mix it up. Variety is the spice of life, and by rotating food you'll likely consume all the nutrients your body needs.

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