Thursday, Nov 29, 2012
TOKYO - Japan’s cuisine is usually associated with the delicate flavours and textures of sushi, but the national airline is opting for an altogether more robust festive meal – KFC chicken.
Japan Airlines will be handing out offerings from Colonel Sanders on some Europe and US-bound flights for three months from December 1.
The carrier said it would be dishing up an Air Kentucky meal, consisting of a chicken drumstick and a breast fillet accompanied by bread, lettuce and a cup of coleslaw.
KFC is a popular choice in Japan at Christmas, an almost wholly commercial festival mainly celebrated by young lovers.
The fast food giant’s website says its popularity on December 25 stems from the early 1970s when expats in Japan began buying its chicken as the next best thing to turkey, which was not readily available.
The company says young Japanese soon picked up on the idea and the fried meat rapidly became a festive fixture.
