Being someone who patronizes KFC; maybe even someone who might be considered an aficionado, I have a KFC meal occasionally when in different cities just to compare. I expect that the chicken would be prepared/served in a fashion which may be adjusted for local tastes. I do not expect that the 11 herbs and spices would be changed (made more spicy for the eastern diners perhaps?) or played with, but I always thought that the fry might be different after having tried the product in a few different countries. Now I have visual proof of the difference:

 

May 2022
 

 July 2022
 

July 2022
 

The Sydney and Edinburgh fried chicken look very different from the Kuching version:

• The batter of the Kuching KFC is dry compared to the other two which are visibly oilier.

• The degree of frying might also be different as the Kuching product looks paler by comparison.

• Indeed, the oiler look signifies chicken cuts which were more moist whereas the Kuching cuts were much drier.

• Taste-wise, there was little difference which means that the herbs and spices blend used remained the same.

• What I think this means is that KFC allows its country franchises some leeway in producing a fried product which suits the local taste. In the case of Malaysia, it must mean that  that the KFC consumer prefers a drier and crispier batter. Indeed the parallel product in Malaysia, the "spicy" version is even drier than the "original" version (and in my mind inedible as it is too dry).

• Overall, give me the moist fried chicken version any day even though it might be oily scary.

Notes:

It is said that KFC changed its name in the mid-90s from "Kentucky Fried Chicken" in part because it wanted to avoid the term "fried" which in an increasingly health-conscious market is not good for maintaining market share. However, how would it disguise the frying in their Sydney and Edinburgh products when they look so oily?

In Malaysia, one would think that there is scarcity of cabbage because KFC has not made its coleslaw available for months now. The vegetable can be found in most grocers and supermarkets but pricey. Maybe Malaysian KFC is not offering the coleslaw in order to save costs.