Breadfruit fries coming to KFC soon

Breadfruit fries will soon be added to the menu at the local Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurants.

Tessa Glass, part-owner of the local KFC franchise, told SEARCHLIGHT that the breadfruit fries will be launched at both branches of the restaurant in time for St Vincent and the Grenadines’ 37th anniversary of Independence on October 27.{{more}}

The breadfruit fries, which have been sourced through local company Healthy Foods, will be sold at the same price as the regular potato fries and patrons may substitute the breadfruit fries for the potato fries if desired. Glass said if customers take a liking to the product, it will become a permanent menu option at the restaurants.

Healthy Foods, which is based at Mt Grenan, employs eight persons and is promoting the product as 100 per cent organic.

The company is owned by Deron Grant, a Vincentian who presently lives and works in Oman as the head of tennis operations at the world’s largest sporting and recreational facility.

Although the breadfruit fries, soon to be trademarked as Roseto breadfruit fries, are being commercially manufactured by Healthy Foods, they are the brainchild of Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar, who during an interview with SEARCHLIGHT on Thursday, said that he has always had a love for creative cooking.

“I have been writing recipes for years now and expect to publish soon ‘10 local recipes, which will make you go wow!’” he said.

Caesar indicated that in 2003, he did a stint in culinary arts in the United States at Berkshire Mountains Massachusetts and at the Seven Hills Resort. He explained that he was exposed to this type of operation at the East Over Resort when he was in the United States on a work programme.

The budding culinary artist noted that his recipe for the Roseto breadfruit fries will soon be protected legally because of the ‘several things’ which are done to the breadfruit to bring it as close to the flavour of the regular potato fries.

“It was important to do this so that customers don’t get turned off,” Caesar explained.

He noted that while persons have been frying the breadfruit for years, it has never been done with this unique flavour presentation.

Caesar stated that after posting the idea of breadfruit fries on Facebook, the idea was propelled into a joke.

“Then Deron Grant … called and asked if I saw how big this could get,” he recalled.

The agriculture minister stated that Grant then registered ‘Healthy Foods’ as a business and hired a staff, after which he passed on the recipe for Roseto breadfruit fries to Grant.

Caesar stated that Roseto breadfruit fries were market tested locally at Famous Richies, Mitch Chicken Truck and at Veejays restaurant, and are now being sold at Vee Jays, French Veranda and at other restaurants and hotels. Additionally, the product is being tested in Grenada, Barbados, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago.

KFC, however, is the main purchaser of the product at the moment.

Caesar said to ensure a constant supply of breadfruit year round, improved varieties of the tree, which have a longer bearing period, will be planted.

He disclosed that he is currently working on recipes for six other types of French fries which will all be handed over to Grant. “They are all in the development stage and some are not as easy to work with as I thought. It may take another year.”

St Vincent and the Grenadines presently imports EC$1 million in frozen fries annually. (CM)