BANGKOK — For a limited time, KFC is offering what the uninhibited chicken eater secretly wants: fried chicken skin.

Joey Tribbiani from Friends once said while eating a bucket of chicken, “I’m only eating the skin, so the chicken’s up for grabs.” KFC’s foray into the chicken skin craze was announced on popular Facebook food blogs such as Redprice and Kinraideewa on Friday, rather than the official KFC Thailand Facebook page.

We rushed to the Siam Square One branch but even so, long queues were already stretching deep into the shop. The wait time was around 20 minutes for an order.

A box of 60 grams of chicken skin – we got 10 pieces in our box – costs 139, while a small 20 gram portion served in a paper holder costs 49 baht.

“So I’m at the point in my life where I gotta pay 49 baht to eat three pieces of chicken skin?” commented Noranit Plern Ruangpradit on a post by Redprice promoting the menu.

The chicken skin itself is addictive though salty if eaten alone. It’s powdered with the same flavoring found on KFC’s wing zapp wings, giving it an identical flavor. Unlike nhung gai sold for 20 to 30 baht a bag at markets, KFC’s rendition is noticeably thinner and crispier – crunchy like a potato chip.

If it weren’t for the steep price and blistering pockets of fat found on the edges of some pieces, we’d be back for more (but only in our darkest hours).

Chicken skin will be on sale at KFC until June 26 at Siam Square One, Big C Ratchadamri, Terminal 21, Gateway Ekamai, Big C On Nut, and Tesco Lotus Sukhumvit 50 branches.

Depending on sales, fried chicken skin could be expanded to other branches and become a permanent menu fixture.

“What’s next, fried chicken feet?” user Prakasit Flame commented, referring to another common market dish.

This review was paid for by the author and based on a secret visit to the Siam Square One branch of KFC.

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