Harim Chairman Kim Hong-guk announced on the 15th that he has launched a frozen chicken brand that incorporates the know-how of the company’s chicken franchise brand 'Mexican,' which has a 40-year tradition.
On this day, Chairman Kim attended the 'Bravo Harim Mexican Popup Store' held in Seongdong District, Seoul, and noted, "Mexican is the brand that first created seasoned fried chicken in our country," adding, "Harim, which has developed the chicken industry, is now presenting a frozen chicken brand while reminiscing about the seasoned chicken of the past alongside Mexican."
Mexican is a first-generation chicken franchise brand led by Kim's wife, Oh Soo-jung. The new products are 'Mexican Boneless Chicken' and 'Mexican Wing Chicken,' released in four varieties: crispy, hot crispy, honey butter, and garlic seasoning.
'Crispy Boneless and Wing Chicken' and 'Hot Crispy Boneless and Wing Chicken,' with a spicy flavor from Vietnamese chili, were briefly fried at high temperatures and then baked in an oven for added crispness while reducing oil, Harim explained. 'Honey Butter Boneless and Wing Chicken' features a sweet taste from a honey sauce made with milk butter and honey. 'Garlic Seasoned Boneless and Wing Chicken' incorporates garlic into a spicy seasoning made with gochujang, ketchup, and soy sauce to enhance the umami flavor.
Harim also released three types of seasoned chicken sauces, including original and spicy, as well as 'Seasoned Chicken Stir-Fried Noodles.' Harim stated, "We focused particularly on the quality of the raw meat so that customers can experience the taste and quality of a chicken specialty store at home," adding, "Only domestic chicken thigh meat was used for the boneless chicken products, and domestic refrigerated chicken was used for the wing chicken."
Jung Ye-jin, Harim brand manager, when asked about the strengths of Mexican frozen chicken at a press conference, said, "It’s fried using refrigerated meat, not frozen meat," and explained, "There is a significant difference in juiciness between fried meat that has been thawed and processed and meat that is fried directly from refrigerated state."
She added, "To maintain the freshness of refrigerated chicken while processing, we must complete the processing work within two days of slaughtering," and noted that Harim has established a dedicated chicken production line for Mexican to begin production immediately after slaughtering. The manager stated, "The annual sales goal for the new products is 10 billion won."
A Harim representative remarked, "As dining prices and delivery fees continue to rise, frozen chicken is emerging as a suitable alternative," and expressed hope that customers will enjoy the taste of freshly fried chicken anytime with Harim Mexican Chicken.