Fried Chicken Was Invented by the Scottish. It was actually the Scottish who were the first to deep-fry chicken in fat (the rest of the world usually baked or boiled it), and they brought the dish with them to America. Up until the early 1900s, fried chicken was a dish that was usually reserved for special occasions and holidays, due to the relative scarcity of spring chickens and the need for such a high volume of fat. The lengthy preparation time also meant that it was rarely, if ever, found on restaurant menus.
Slavery and Segregation were Essential to its Rise in Popularity. Slaves were generally allowed to keep chickens, so frying them up on special occasions during the antebellum years became relatively commonplace. And because many restaurants were closed to blacks due to segregation, fried chicken became a go-to dish due to the fact that it traveled well in an era before refrigeration.
Not all Chickens are Suitable for Frying. Today, just about all of the chickens you'll find at your supermarket or butcher shop are broilers, which have been bred specifically to be suitable for all types of cooking, including frying. Because older birds are tougher and require long cooking at low temperatures, in the early days only young chickens (cockerels or pullets) were suitable for the high heat and fast cooking time of fried chicken. The fact that these were only available in spring and summer made the dish even more of a luxury item.
There’s a Secret to Getting That “Craggy” Crust Every Time. Ever notice how Chick-Fil-A's chicken seems to have that crunchy, craggy crust while KFC's Original Recipe generally doesn't? If you're making fried chicken at home and want to make sure that your chicken has those coveted crags, just mix a couple spoonfulls of that buttermilk mixture into the dry breading mix, and let those extra little clumps of batter work their magic.
Nashville-Style Hot Chicken May Be The Unhealthiest of All. Nashville-style fried chicken, which is legendary for being very spicy, is definitely having a moment right now, with even KFC jumping on the bandwagon. But you may want to think twice before indulging: After the chicken comes into the fryer, it's dunked right into a vat of chile-infused oil, kicking up the calorie count to stratospheric levels.