FROM THE JOURNAL - COCKTAILS & CURIOSITIES
Chances are most of you tucked into a turkey with all the trimmings or a roast of some sort on Christmas Day. It's a tradition followed in many countries around the world... but not in Japan.
Over there, the Colonel is king!
Yep – the Japanese can't get enough Kentucky Fried Chicken at Christmas, and it's all thanks to one of the most successful marketing campaigns ever created. In 1974, KFC launched its "Kentucky for Christmas" campaign, and somehow managed to convince the nation that fried chicken was the perfect festive feast.
It caught on in spectacular fashion.
Today, if you're in Japan and fancy KFC for Christmas Day, you'd better plan ahead. Party barrels need to be ordered weeks in advance, and many families even make restaurant reservations to secure their festive fried chicken.
Although Christmas isn't a national holiday in Japan and is celebrated very differently from the West, KFC has become a cherished tradition for millions of families. It's estimated that around 3.6 million households enjoy KFC for Christmas, making the festive season one of the company's busiest times of the year.
Not bad for a bucket of chicken!
It just goes to show that traditions don't always have centuries of history behind them. Sometimes, all it takes is a brilliant marketing idea... and a man in a white suit with a bow tie.
FUN FACT:
In 2017 London-based Portobello Road Gin launched the world’s first pechuga gin, which was distilled with turkey breast. The expression paid homage to a distillation process used by mezcal producers whereby a chicken or turkey breast – pechuga in Spanish – is suspended over the still and cooks in the vapours, adding flavours to the spirit.