Kentucky Fried Chicken has opened more than 3,000 branches in China, and now the restaurant chain is more profitable in China than in the USA. One theory for KFC's boffo success: Colonel Sanders resembles Confucius.
More chicken lore in this month's Smithsonian magazine: How the Chicken Conquered the World, by Jerry Adler and Andrew Lawler
8 Comments on Gurney Journey: Colonel Sanders resembles Confucius
Another theory for the popularity of KFC in China: clean bathrooms."
SHANGHAI [late 21st century] Judge Fang switched back to English. "Your case is very serious," he said to the boy. "We will go and consult the ancient authorities."
The House of the Venerable and Inscrutable Colonel was what they called it when they were speaking Chinese.
Venerable because of his goatee, white as the dogwood blossom, a badge of unimpeachable credibility in Confucian eyes.
Inscrutable because he had gone to his grave without divulging the Secret of the Eleven Herbs and Spices.
Word of their arrival preceded them; their bucket already rested upon the table. The small plastic cups of gravy, coleslaw, potatoes, and so on had been carefully arranged."