KFC first developed its Original Recipe fried-chicken formula in 1940.
The recipe is associated with Harland Sanders, who refined his seasoning blend while operating a roadside restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky. KFC later became famous for keeping the exact blend secret, although many imitation recipes have circulated.
The 1940 date refers to the development of Sanders’s seasoning formula, not the founding of the modern KFC corporation. Sanders began selling fried chicken in the 1930s, and the chain’s first franchise opened later, in 1952.
KFC’s Original Recipe is also distinct from the chain’s pressure-frying process. Pressure frying shortened cooking time while helping the chicken remain moist, but the seasoning formula and cooking method are separate parts of the product’s identity.