KFC takes its fried chicken recipe seriously. The iconic technique has led the chain to explode into one of the world's largest and most beloved restaurants.
Apparently, that commitment to its recipe extends all the way to its Twitter account.
KFC famously touts that its chicken in breaded with a secret blend of herbs and spices. That list of ingredients was originally scratched on the back door of restaurant founder Colonel Sanders' kitchen, and now is represented — sort of — by the 11 accounts the restaurant's official Twitter follows.
Twitter user @edgette22 was the first to pick up on the pattern on Thursday.
.@KFC follows 11 people.
Those 11 people? 5 Spice Girls and 6 guys named Herb.
11 Herbs & Spices. I need time to process this.
— Edge (@edgette22) October 19, 2017
".@KFC follows 11 people. Those 11 people? 5 Spice Girls and 6 guys named Herb. 11 Herbs & Spices. I need time to process this."
It's true. KFC currently only follows only the five Spice Girls — Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell, and Victoria Beckham — as well as six notable people named Herb: journalist Herb Scribner, LA city council president Herb J. Wesson, Jr., Green Bay Packers CB Herb Waters, MMA referee Herb Dean, college football coach Herb Sendek and jazz musician Herb Alpert.
Twitter's collective mind was blown, considering that KFC may have been potentially sitting on this joke for months — even years.
Just found out @kfc only follows 11 people. The spice girls and a few dudes named Herb totaling to 11 herbs and spices. Thank you @edgette22pic.twitter.com/mzV9w0HKNf
— Austin Creed 👍🏾 (@XavierWoodsPhD) October 20, 2017
To whomever runs the @KFC twitter account and thought of this. Call me whenever you need a job. You a genius. https://t.co/KjWPvnTJuD
— Musa Tariq (@MusaTariq) October 20, 2017
This, and meeting @Isaiah_Thomas, rank among my favorite moments in life. https://t.co/w6MvJfjed6
— Herb Scribner 🎃 (@HerbScribner) October 20, 2017
Even Wendy's notoriously cheeky Twitter account weighed in.
Just realized they weren't following back.
Rude.
Good joke though.— Wendy's (@Wendys) October 20, 2017
Well played, Colonel.
Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.
