An award-winning fried chicken restaurant in Shizuoka Prefecture says its secret ingredient is frying oil that has been continuously reused since the restaurant opened in 1960.
Wakatori’s owner, Yoshihiro Tsuchiya, said a small amount of the old oil is kept as a flavour base and mixed with fresh oil each day after being filtered and cleaned. He credits the ‘aged oil’ with giving the restaurant’s fried chicken its distinctive taste and aroma.
The practice has sparked debate online, with critics raising health concerns. While the restaurant insists the oil is carefully maintained, food experts warn that repeatedly heated oil can produce potentially harmful substances over time, even when regularly diluted with fresh oil.