Officials have called the protesters seeking President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation many things: thugs, foreigners, paid troublemakers. But what made Rehab Salah curious were reports on state television that the demonstrators were sitting in Tahrir Square eating Kentucky Fried Chicken.
On Sunday, the bank employee made a 45-minute trek on the city’s metro to see for herself. She saw old women and young boys on the square selling cheese and date pastries, men gathered around a blanket sharing pita bread and older men sipping hot tea.
But no “Kentucky meals,” as they’re widely known in Egypt.
To understand how KFC got mixed up in the tumultuous events playing out in Cairo requires an understanding of what could be called foreign fast-food psychology. KFC restaurants can be found all over Egypt, and their menu is more familiar than the burgers at McDonald’s or Hardees.