Colonel Sanders' fried chicken recipe has won the hearts of many over the years. But up until now, the hype around KFC's illustrious menu item was something vegetarians obviously couldn't be apart of. The chain is now giving a new recipe a try, sans chicken.

The company announced this week that it was testing a chicken-like vegetarian option in the UK. There's no doubt it will use KFC's signature (and secret) blend of 11 herbs and spices too, so trust that it will still be the real deal.

“Development of the recipe is still in its very early stages, and so the options we’re exploring in our kitchen are still top secret,” a spokesman for KFC said in a statement to Foodbeast. “Once we’ve perfected the recipe, we aim to test with customers this year, and if all goes well, we hope to launch a new vegetarian option in 2019.”

Though vegetarian's will clearly be reaping the benefits of the meat-free addition, KFC is hoping to generally push in a healthier direction with it's food.

Over the next seven years, KFC UK told Foodbeast they're looking to cut their calories per serving by 20%, and will be introducing multiple meal options that are under 600 calories by year 2020.

As for the news on vegetarian fried chicken, there's no word yet, if it will go global so we can only wait and see. In the meantime, KFC fans have been vocal with their reactions, and feelings are mixed.

Check back for m0re updates on the vegetarian creation, we'll be keeping our ears open and cravings ready.

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