You couldn't make it up dept. no.56: blessed? Kentucky? Fried? Fish?

[fpb]

The corporate mind continues to provide me with rich pickings for my You Couldn't Make It Up Department. From today's CNA bulletin:
LOUISVILLE,KY, February 23 (CNA) - The U.S. based Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) company, long known for its fast-food chicken is planning to sell fish for the first time and has asked for Pope Benedict XVI’s blessing.

For Lent this year the company is introducing a “Fish Snacker Sandwich,” and has sent a letter to the Holy Father, letting him know.

"This is the first time KFC has ever served fish nationally, and we believe that the new sandwich could make it easier and more affordable for Catholics to observe the tenets of their faith," KFC President Greg Dedrick wrote in a letter to the Pope earlier this month.

According to the AP, the letter asks the Holy Father for a special blessing and offers him a sample of the sandwich.

John O’Reilly, chief marketing officer for KFC said the sandwich was launched with Catholics in mind. Traditionally restaurant seafood sales go up during the Lenten Season, when Catholics abstain from meat on Fridays.

Laurie Schalow, a spokeswoman for KFC, told the AP that the Vatican confirmed receiving the letter and the company is hopeful for a response in the next week.

The sandwich is made of Alaskan pollock, the largest food fish resource in the world and a fish commonly used to make breaded and battered fish products.

KFC is owned by Yum Brands Inc. of Louisville, which also owns seafood outlet Long John Silver's. Schalow said the sandwich shouldn't put KFC and Long John Silver's at odds.

"The reason we decided to do this is our consumers showed an interest," Schalow said.

KFC, which has 5,500 restaurants around the country, test marketed the sandwich last year. The reviews were good, so the decision was made to sell the item nationally, Schalow said. The sandwich will remain on sale only during Lent, she said.

Comments

[rfachir.livejournal.com]

The Colonel and Jesus are tight. They're both from Kentucky - (I read it on a bumper-sticker so it must be true).
I think the eleven secret herbs and spices were first written in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

[aduxxx.livejournal.com]

How exactly do you send a "sample" of a greasy, fast-food fish sandwhich from one continent to another?

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, I am sure there must be a few KFC franchises in Rome. I can tell you they are all over the place in London.

[aduxxx.livejournal.com]

Wow, I had no idea. I haven't been to Rome in... 21 years :/

[guarani]

There is one in Asunción, so there should be at least one in Rome too.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Are you from Paraguay? I love to meet interesting people from distant countries. I had noticed your name.

[guarani]

Yes, I am... born and spoiled up here. And after 36 years, I still can't bear the heat.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I used to know a black man from Uganda who could not stand even an English summer.

[guarani]

According to the AP, the letter asks the Holy Father for a special blessing and offers him a sample of the sandwich.

As long as they don't send it by surface mail...

[chipperazzi.livejournal.com]

Hi, got here from a comment you left on cette_vie's LJ.

I thought I'd let you know that KFC in Malaysia (where I'm from) has been serving fish sandwiches since last year. There was no explanation on why the decision was made, apart from the standard "we thought it was time to diversify our menu".

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Did they ask the highest religious authorities for a blessing?

[chipperazzi.livejournal.com]

Not to my knowledge, but a lot of toothpaste ads on TV now make a big deal about the advertised product being halal. And fast food ads might be banned soon because they make people fat.

[elegant-bonfire.livejournal.com]

They probably needed some good press to balance this story--->

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/rats-run-wild-at-new-york-kfctaco-bell/20070223145709990001

Though I have to admit I squeed over that video.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, yes, I can see where they might be rather badly in need of prayers.

[annie-from-aust.livejournal.com]

Australia is full of KFC outlets too.

The NERVE of trying to get Pope Benedict XVI’s blessing for some rubbish fast food. I am outraged and I am not even a Catholic. As if he hasn't better things to do than help line their greasy pockets, while they line our arteries with Cholesterol.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I find it more silly than anything else, actually. The Papacy has suffered far worse insults. But I do agree about greasy - apparently someone made a study of all the kinds of fast food for general sale in the UK, and it turned out that Southern fried chicken was the worst, with up to 62% of total weight being fat!

[annie-from-aust.livejournal.com]

62% OMG ! How outrageous. I have been reading your stories and "friended' you. Hope that is OK. Have been in UK and Italy twice . 1982 (hello Mrs Thatcher and Flaklands war !) & 1985 (we landed in Rome and spent a lovely week there before commencing a Eurail pass. Stopped at Venice - the Youth Hostel was full so we girls got to stay at a convent !, and at Florence. Bellisimo (is that the word !)