Nearly all of us have been in the presence of people with to-go meals as they either eat it in front of us or have it in a paper sack that does not contain the scent of the food inside.
Sometimes, it is a nice smell thank makes us think, “Gosh, I’m hungry and I want some of that.” In other cases, the scent is so unpleasant that you just want that person to go away and take their dinner with them. In either case, it can be considered impolite.
KFC Japan apparently does not want to be a part of the problem (if you can truly call that a problem). The restaurant chain has developed a new type of fried chicken with a repressed aroma, so people who take their chicken on the go and onto mass transportation systems, they will neither entice nor offend other people, according to a report by Sora News 24.
Apparently, the chicken is prepared using methods that lock in the flavor and aroma, comes in plastic packaging that makes it even more difficult for what aromas there are to escape, and is sold at room temperature to further prevent the scents from spreading. It is intended to be reheated once the consumer gets home.
Only a temporary offering
KFC Japan’s new offering is only temporary. It will no longer be offered after the Christmas holiday, which is a time when KFC consumption is high in Japan.
But like is the case with so many temporary product offerings, this could prove to be so popular with consumers that it can be a permanent thing. And who knows (or, pardon the pun, nose), maybe KFC will roll out its low-aroma chicken elsewhere.
Personally, there are food aromas that I don’t care for, but the smell of fried chicken is not among those. However, I can see how conscientious consumers may not want others to get a whiff of their food. After all, there’s nothing wrong with trying to be courteous.
