A fried chicken shop in Japan says its secret ingredient is frying the chicken in oil it has never fully thrown out in 66 years. After winning gold at the Japan Fried Chicken Grand Prix, the owner of Wakatori, in Shizuoka Prefecture, revealed that the eatery has been reusing its oil since it opened in 1960. Third-generation owner Yoshihiro Tsuchiya says the aged oil gives the chicken a complex aroma and unique flavor that fresh oil cannot match.
The news caused an uproar online, with many worried that the old oil was a health risk. The shop pushed back, explaining that staff clean and filter the oil every night, keeping only a small bit of the old oil as a flavor base and topping it off with fresh oil. So it is not the exact same oil from 1960, though traces may linger. Food experts still warn that repeatedly fried oil can build up harmful substances over time.
Source: Oddity Central
