Why McDonald's Fried Chicken Is Better In Taiwan, According To Tiffy Chen - Exclusive
Vancouver-based food blogger Tiffy Chen knows precisely what she'll order when she walks into a Taiwanese McDonald's. India's Mickey D's might boast the McSpicy Paneer, Italy's has panzerotti, and Canada's serves poutine — but Taiwan's version of the fast food chain has other mouthwatering specialties.
"I always get the fried chicken," Tiffy Chen exclusively dished to Mashed. The genius behind Tiffy Cooks explained, "I always get the corn soup. I'll then get fries and I'll rip them up, half of them, and I'll put them in the soup and soak them so it becomes like a ... creamy corn soup. That's always my go-to order whenever I go to Taiwan: the corn soup, small fries ripped up in the soup, and a fried chicken, like a drumstick."
Delicious corn soup aside, Chen swore to Mashed that the fried chicken from "McDonald's [in] Taiwan is one of the best I've ever had." For the record, the Taiwanese-born blogger is a fried-chicken connoisseur and proffers more fried chicken recipes than you thought were possible on her Tiffy Cooks website. Knock on her door and enter the world of gluten-free garlic fried chicken, Taiwanese night market-style fried chicken, Japanese fried chicken, and more ... so much more. Meet a woman who's not kidding when it comes to refining and exploring her chicken expertise. Here's why she's a believer in the bird they serve up at McDonald's in Taiwan.
The secret behind McDonald's fried chicken in Taiwan
If you're curious, Tiffy Chen will take you with her to McDonald's in Taiwan via her Instagram. She gives McDonald's corn soup, a childhood favorite, an 8 out of 10. The food blogger gives the fried chicken a solid 9. Why?
McDonald's Taiwan serves fried chicken that is representative of more than one place — and that's what Chen loves about it. "It's really crispy [and] juicy on the inside," Chen explained to Mashed. She continued, "It's crispy, but it's not oily and it has a very light batter. It's inspired by Western fried chicken and Taiwanese fried chicken."
Order some up, and you might eat more than you bargained for. "We have light batters in Taiwan, so it has a very light crispy batter. It's not too thick, but it's still super crispy, but the inside is marinated so it's still very juicy," Chen said. "That's why you can have tons of it and you don't even realize you're eating so much fried chicken, because it's not heavy."
Keep up with Tiffy Chen! Follow her on Instagram for near-daily updates and visit her blog for recipe inspiration.