According to Wiki, “A national dish is a dish that is strongly associated with a particular country.” A dish can be considered a national dish for a variety of reasons:
- A staple selection of locally available foodstuffs that can be prepared in a distinctive way.
- A particular ‘exotic’ ingredient that is produced locally
- A festive culinary tradition that forms part of a cultural heritage
When Colonel Sanders started cooking up his unique fried chicken with its eleven herbs and spices in Kentucky, during the Great Depression, I’m pretty sure he did not have the islands of Trinidad and Tobago on his mind. But on all of the above criteria KFC might qualify as T&T’s national dish.
All the chicken served at KFC is grown in T&T and it’s prepared by nationals. The spicy is far more popular than the Colonel’s Original recipe, which is unique to T&T. And there is no beach or river lime, fete match, christening, office moving day, Public Holiday or post party hunger stop that does not include a visit to the Colonel’s kitchen. I have been told that some children’s first “words” are KFC.
I used to work there and a Manager once suggested that like TTEC and WASA, KFC was an essential service.
What do you think?
