[Report] Why Is Kyochon Chicken Small? Why Is Delivery Time Slow?... Visiting 'Kyochon1991 School' in Person

Chicken Cooking Experience Program
Raw Chicken Loses Weight When Fried
Fried Twice and 'Shaped'
3-3-3 Brushing Over 70 Times

"The most common misunderstandings about Kyochon Chicken are that its weight is significantly less compared to competitors and that delivery times are too slow. Today, I will fully explain the reasons behind these issues."

Kyochon Chicken products made at Kyochon1991 School and Moonbearing beer from Kyochon F&B. Photo by Moon Hye-won

On the 29th, at Kyochon F&B's R&D Center 'Jeonggu (鼎九) Hall' located in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, Do Minsu, head of the Atti Education Team at Kyochon F&B, confidently spoke while showcasing the entire cooking process of Kyochon Chicken through the 'Kyochon 1991 School'.

The Kyochon 1991 School is originally a program where new franchisees of Kyochon Chicken undergo a two-week residential training to prepare for store openings. Since March this year, the program has expanded to allow various consumers such as university students, housewives, teenagers, and socially marginalized groups to experience the entire manufacturing process from cooking to packaging, enabling them to engage with and understand the brand. The aim is to enhance communication with customers and increase brand affinity.

On this day, the chicken cooking practice took place in the cooking training room on the third floor of Jeonggu Hall. To maintain the freshness of raw materials, the training room felt somewhat cool. The first thing that greeted the participants was the pale yet reddish aged raw chicken. Kyochon Chicken undergoes a 24 to 48-hour aging process before order to provide tender meat.

Kyochon Chicken uses chickens weighing between 900 and 1000 grams. The chicken prepared that day weighed 935 grams on the scale.

On the 29th, at the Kyochon F&B R&D Center 'Jeonggu (鼎九) Hall' located in Osan-si, Gyeonggi-do, a participant in the 'Kyochon 1991 School' is mixing trimmed chicken into the dough. Photo by Moon Hyewon

First, a batter was made by mixing frying mix powder with water. Kyochon Chicken is characterized by making the batter thin to create a crispy texture with a thin coating. Except for the honey-flavored product, most Kyochon Chicken products have relatively thinner batter compared to other companies.

The raw chicken was evenly coated by dipping it into the mixed batter, then placed into a pot filled with oil heated to 180 degrees Celsius. Soon, the delicious aroma of fried chicken filled the training room.

At this time, it is important to insert the tongs holding the raw chicken deep into the oil to prevent splashing. Also, to prevent the 21 pieces of chicken from sticking together, a so-called 'dispersed input' is recommended. Do explained, "If you place the chicken pieces evenly spaced in the empty spots inside the pot, they won't stick to each other, allowing them to fry better and the oil to drain well, preventing sogginess."

On the 29th, at the Kyochon F&B R&D Center 'Jeonggu (鼎九) Hall' located in Osan-si, Gyeonggi-do, Dominsoo, head of the Atti Education Team at Kyochon F&B, is performing the so-called 'shaping process,' which involves removing fried crumbs from the first batch of fried chicken pieces during the 'Kyochon 1991 School' event. Photo by Hye-won Moon

After about 10 minutes of cooking, the chicken pieces were taken out and underwent Kyochon Chicken's unique 'shaping process.' This process involves placing the first-fried chicken pieces in a strainer and shaking them back and forth to remove fried crumbs stuck to the surface. This not only makes the chicken pieces look smooth and neat but also creates air holes that allow residual oil and moisture inside the chicken to escape during the second frying, resulting in a crispier taste, according to Do.

After the second frying, the chicken's weight decreased from 935 grams to 644 grams. Nearly 300 grams of oil and moisture were lost. Removing this oil and moisture reduces sogginess and enhances crispiness. Therefore, even though it takes some time, Kyochon Chicken consistently follows this process.

On the 29th, at the Kyochon F&B R&D Center 'Jeonggu (鼎九) Hall' located in Osan-si, Gyeonggi-do, a participant in the 'Kyochon 1991 School' practical session is applying sauce with a brush as a finishing touch. Photo by Moon Hye-won

The finishing touch is the so-called '3-3-3' process, where each chicken piece is brushed with sauce one by one. The unique Kyochon method involves dipping the brush 3 cm into the sauce, shaking off the excess three times, and brushing each piece three times. Since one chicken is served in 21 pieces, over 70 brush strokes are required per product. This time-consuming and meticulous process is often cited as the main reason for Kyochon Chicken's longer delivery times. However, Kyochon has maintained this method without change for over 30 years. Experiencing it firsthand, the task of brushing all 21 pieces was so strenuous that it caused muscle cramps in the arm.

Do said, "This process is Kyochon's signature. Unlike competitors who put chicken pieces in a container and shake them, brushing the sauce allows it to penetrate every part of the chicken pieces, bringing out the sauce's unique flavor much better." He added, "Each franchise prepares an average of over 80 chickens daily using this method."

From the aging process of the chicken to brushing each piece, all tasks embody the philosophy of 'Jeongdo Management (正道經營)'?a principle upheld by the founder, Chairman Kwon Won-gang.

Kyochon plans to offer training sessions not only on weekdays but also on weekends, expanding participant groups to include kindergartners, people with disabilities, and multicultural families.