Yes, you read that right. The Original Recipe Chicken latte not a set menu with chicken and coffee. It’s a coffee that is “inspired” by the fast-food chain’s most iconic recipes that you can get from KFC’s K Coffee chain in China since 15 September. Between 15 and 17 September, 10,000 coupons were released each day for customers to get the coffee for 6.6 RMB (0.94 USD), before going back to the regular price of 12.9 RMB (1.83 USD).
Part of the “Sanders’ Select” collection, an ode to the chain’s founder Colonel Harland Sanders (1890-1980), the coffee boasts a savoury flavour inspired by the Original Recipe Chicken with a “secret mix” of herbs and spices, referencing, of course, the 11 herbs and spices in the KFC Original Recipe. The latter was launched with a short video in the form of a mock press conference where a “spokesperson” gives nonsensical answers to the questions about the new release by repeating it’s an Original Recipe Chicken-flavoured latte.
Also in the “Sanders’ Select” collection, an “egg tart” dirty coffee was released at the end of June to celebrate the 200th K Coffee branch. Based on the Portuguese/Macau pastel de nata custard tarts that have been a KFC staple in China, the coffee sports a pastry shell that serves as an edible cup. This also reminded netizens of the paper-like edible coffee cups from M Stand but naturally tasted better.
The chicken-flavoured coffee also brings to mind the pork belly latte from Starbucks earlier this year. For the Chinese New Year, Starbucks China released several localised tastes including a “Dongpo pork” flavoured coffee that is also a savoury drink, and with an added dried pork slice. And like the pork belly latte, the K Coffee chicken latte was also received by netizens as “surprisingly not bad”.
