erudity.net prattlings on via nattering nabobs

Double Down

While on duty last week I had multiple people come into the office and make a remark about the Double Down; clearly, it's arrived in the public consciousness.  Since I forgot to grab my lunch on the way into work, I was pretty hungry by the time I was relieved and was thinking about it on the way home, so I dropped by KFC to see what the hullabaloo was about.

"Sandwich" is a misnomer - it's just two chicken breasts with some cheese and bacon.  Most people would consider that an entree or two were it on a plate, but KFC calls it a "sandwich" and suddenly people are ecstatic or apoplectic.  I digress...

First, it's hefty.  You'd expect that from two chicken breasts with cheese and bacon, but really - this is 4 servings of chicken, 2 servings of bacon, 2 servings of cheese, plus whatever sauce they throw in there.  By my count, that's 930 calories and a whopping 3240 mg of sodium, while the RDA for calories and sodium is 2000 and 2400mg, respectively.  (The four servings of chicken come from the USDA definition of half a chicken breast as a serving.)  The sodium really comes through - I was having a bit of difficulty finishing the beast until I downed half my drink - and I didn't even touch the home fries that KFC gives you as part of the Double Down Meal.

The taste itself wasn't terrible, although the chicken was a bit overcooked.  You can't really taste the cheese or the bacon, but they do come through as texture when you bite into the "sandwich."  Mostly what you taste is salt, either in the breading or the sodium solution that they seemingly soak the chicken breasts in.  It definitely cured me of hunger but made me more thirsty than I can recall in recent memory - so going to the upsize or mega size or whatever it takes to get a large drink will definitely help you out if you'd like to try one yourself.

In the end, I don't think I'll get this ever again - it's just too damn salty.  KFC, for the love of god, try and bring the sodium down.  Use MSG if you have to.