【Le bijou d’amour】

The Le bijou d’amourinternet was different in 2010 to 2014. We didn't think about things like cringe— my brother, everything was cringe. We were doing online quizzes about which Hogwarts house we belonged in and it was groundbreaking stuff.

Food culture online was different back then, too. Basically it could be summed up by the phrase epic bacon. To wit: A decade ago, the biggest thing going was the YouTube channel Epic Meal Time, which would make stupidly massive foodstuffs often centered on, or propped up by, a staggering amount of bacon strips.

SEE ALSO: What's up with all the meat scents?

The KFC Double Down — a fried chicken sandwich where two slabs of chicken serve as the "buns" — was very much ofthat moment. It was a fried chicken sandwich composed of only fried chicken, cheese, bacon, and mayo. AKA it was sans bread. It was gluttonous, delicious, and kind of gross, all in one. And now the Double Down is back after a nine-year hiatus.

KFC announced that it would re-release the sandwich for just four weeks, starting March 6. KFC sent along a sample sandwich ahead of the release date and we gave it a whirl. As Mashable's Chief Trash Food Correspondent, it was my duty to review this Frankenstein of fried chicken and I took my job very seriously.

Mashable Trend Report Decode what’s viral, what’s next, and what it all means. Sign up for Mashable’s weekly Trend Report newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Fun fact: You know what else was different back in 2010 to 2014? Me. I was a young man with the appetite and metabolism to match. I could scarf a Double Down then go play pickup basketball for two hours without blowing chunks. Now, as a grown man with graying hair, I could only power through about one-third to one-half of a Double Down. Two fried chicken breasts, a big glob of mayo, cheese, and bacon strips does not make for a good working lunch. I chomped it down then stared into the middle distance, questioning how my life had led me to this point. I mean, look at this honker.

That is a large, very chickeny "sandwich." Credit: Mashable / Tim Marcin

As for the taste, it's not bad. I hadn't had KFC in years and, you know what? The chicken was crispy while remaining juicy. Sure, it was over-salted but it's fast food, that's the whole point. I don't mind mayo, but I could have dealt with less of it. There were a few bites where the mayo overtook every other flavor. The bacon was thin but fine. The cheese was warm, but more limp than melty. All-in-all, it's hard for the sandwich to be bad.It's fried chicken. Fried chicken kicks ass.

But it is, of course, wildly impractical. The proportions are all off. It's a chore to eat. Your fingers are immediately greasy. You basically have to grip the damn thing tight to keep it all together, which means the wonderful breading is going to slime your hands with grease. Maybe the carnivore diet people around today will get into it, but it's probably not going to be the go-to sandwich for the general public. This is the sort of a thing a college kid should eat after far too many light beers.

---

Related Stories

---

• I took the latest Buffalo Wild Wings challenge, and my face is on fire
• Buffalo Wild Wings' Doritos Flamin' Hot Nacho Wings are an unholy oddity
• The Burger King 'Whopper' jingle is going viral because sports fans can’t escape it
• An air fryer fried chicken sandwich recipe that won't leave you disappointed
• This viral TikTok recipe for an air fryer grilled cheese makes a perfect cheese pull

Would a normal chicken sandwich be better? Of course. Bread would contain the ingredients, soak up the grease, and evenly distribute the mayo. Bread would also add a bit of textural difference and make the sandwich easier to eat.

But, alas, the Double Down is not built for practicality. It's gorgeous 2010s stunt food. It's epic bacon, baby, and on that, it sure as hell still delivers.

• Digital Culture
• Deals
• Tech
• Social Good
• Games
• Science
• Entertainment
• Shopping

• Pairing CPUs and GPUs: PC Upgrades and Bottlenecking
• Reese Witherspoon discusses her experience with sexual assault
• Google slashes its ridiculously
• Huge security flaw leaves Wi
• Watch how an old Venus spacecraft tumbled before crashing to Earth
• Why Twitter is still teeming with millions of bots
• Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury: See new photo
• This guy flew 7,000 miles to watch a soccer match, only for it to be postponed
• Diseases from mosquitos and ticks have tripled in the U.S., CDC finds
• Cool guy Dave Grohl gives a fan one of his shoes

• Duolingo has launched a course in Star Trek's Klingon language
• In startling coincidence, Stephen Hawking died on Einstein’s birthday
• Amazon Prime subscribers can now get free games
• Android has gotten a lot safer in 2017, Google claims
• Before you see 'Love, Simon,' read the book it's based on
• Here's the first look at 'Westworld' Season 2 photos
• Eddie Redmayne has paid a moving tribute to Stephen Hawking
• Karlie Kloss expands Kode With Klossy to bring coding to 1,000 girls across the U.S.
• This hangry girl who had her leftovers stolen is extremely relatable
• Ocean acidification could hit the base of the marine food chain

• Hurricane Laura's impact lingered with nightmarish mosquito swarms
• Move over Batman and Robin — this comics team is the real dynamic duo
• Why Twitter is still teeming with millions of bots
• What to do with the pumpkin guts after you carve your jack
• Bestway Hydro
• Panos Panay on Surface Book 2, USB
• Twitter's Jack Dorsey promises changes to anti
• Google removes Maps feature showing calories and mini
• 4GHz CPU Battle: AMD 2nd
• Dad's tweet about daughter's reaction to a female referee is what we need right now

• Is 'Sing Sing' streaming? How to watch the A24 drama at home.
• Astronauts brought a fidget spinner into space
• Hidden data suggests new Pokémon and a Halloween event are coming to 'Pokémon Go'
• The Yellowstone supervolcano won't erupt without advanced warning
• Amazon Spring Sale 2025: Best deals on cleaning supplies
• Dead 2017 pop culture trends got their own Halloween graveyard thanks to one creative art teacher
• Why Twitter is still teeming with millions of bots
• The Academy has expelled Harvey Weinstein. That's a start.
• Why Building a Gaming PC Right Now is a Bad Idea, Part 3: Bad Timing
• In the wake of #MeToo, men are pledging to make changes to fight harassment