The KFC Recipe That Leaked in 2016: Who Did It? And is It Valid?

A recipe on which an empire was built. We are talking about Kentucky Fried Chicken, better known as KFC, which has been a global fast food giant for seventy years. Handwritten on a piece of notebook paper, the recipe has always been kept in a 350kg safe and under constant surveillance. A nephew of Colonel Harland Sanders, founder of KFC (the man on the logo) was interviewed by the Chicago Tribune in 2016 and revealed the mix of 11 spices (never disclosed) in which the chicken is marinated before being fried.

A Billion-Dollar Business That Could Have Fallen Apart

In 2016, a Chicago Tribune reporter interviewed Joe Ledington, nephew of Claudia Ledington, Harland Sanders' second wife. At the time, the reporter was working on a travel guide about the city of Corbin, Kentucky, where the colonel began selling his legendary fried chicken. It was at that time that Ledington showed the recipe in which the 11 spices to marinate the chicken before frying were "revealed".

Over the years, it has happened several times that recipes for the world's most famous fried chicken were published, but in this case, the one the journalist found in front of him was true. The secret formula was handwritten in a notebook by Claudia Ledington, who died in 1996. Sanders' second wife left it to her nephew in her will and he himself told the Chicago Tribune that as a child he mixed these spices in a tub on the roof of the garage. Ledington explained that the real secret was white pepper, an ingredient that was not very common in the US in the 1950s, the period in which KFC was born. Despite all this, the colonel's nephew himself confirmed that he was not 100% sure that it was the real recipe and the fast food chain itself denied everything, saying that it was not the mix of 11 spices.

History and Rise of Kentucky Fried Chicken

Let's see together how KFC was born and why it has become one of the most well-known and appreciated fast food in the world. In 1930, a young Harland Sanders opened a gas station in Corbin, Kentucky. Always passionate about food, Sanders offered travelers the delights of the southern states and among these was fried chicken, an emblem of conviviality in those parts. In a short time, word of Sanders' incredible culinary talent spread and he opened a 142-seat restaurant in front of the gas station. The restaurant immediately became a hit and in 1935 the governor of Kentucky named Harland Sanders an honorary colonel. Recognition that was given to him for his very high merits in the national cuisine.

The turning point came with the pressure cooker, an invention at the time, thanks to which the colonel could cook quickly without making customers wait too long. With that invention the chicken remained deliciously juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. In 1939 he completed the recipe thanks to the famous mix of 11 spices and herbs that would become legendary. At the age of 62 Sanders decided to travel throughout the United States trying to convince restaurateurs that his fried chicken was better and different from the usual. He found his first affiliate in Pete Harman, the largest restaurateur in Utah.

These were difficult times for the American who, due to debts and difficulties, was forced to postpone his dream. Thanks to his efforts, he really managed to make his dreams come true and, in 1952, the first KFC opened in the north of Corbin. Twelve years later, there were already over 600 restaurants in the United States and Canada. The colonel sold the company but remained its ambassador, so much so that he wanted to visit every single KFC restaurant and traveled over 400 thousand km in a year. He died in 1980 at the age of 90, proud of having become one of the most influential people in the world thanks to his passion, dedication and commitment. Today, there are over 41 thousand KFCs located in 125 countries.

The Recipe Revealed By The Chicago Tribune

Every promise is worth it and, after the historic moment of the birth and rise of Kfc, now the one has arrived in which you can finally know the recipe of the famous 11 spices in which to marinate the chicken. And will you try this experiment to remake the chicken at home in the bucket identical to that of Kentucky Fried Chicken?

Mix of 11 spices (not confirmed by KFC)

• 2/3 of a tablespoon of salt;
• half a tablespoon of thyme;
• half a tablespoon of basil;
• 1/3 tablespoon oregano;
• a spoonful of salt with celery seeds;
• a spoonful of black pepper;
• a spoonful of dried mustard;
• 4 tablespoons paprika;
• 2 tablespoons garlic salt;
• a spoonful of powdered ginger;
• 3 tablespoons white pepper.