Decades before Al Faham and Kuzhimanthi dominated our menus... long before Malayalis led lives in the Gulf and brought back Arabian culture and flavors to Kerala alongside their wealth... there was another chicken dish that reigned supreme across the menus of Kerala and India. From young children to adults, it remains one of India’s most popular and timeless chicken dishes, ordered with watering mouths to accompany Porotta or Ghee Rice: ‘Chicken 65.’
The name itself carries a certain curiosity, doesn't it? Numbers attached to a culinary dish! How did the figure 65 find its way next to the word 'Chicken'? What is the history behind it?

Myths Behind the Name:

One common myth suggests that the dish earned its name because it is prepared using a chicken that has lived for exactly 65 days. This is factually incorrect.
Another myth claims that the name comes from using 65 different ingredients or 65 individual pieces of chicken during preparation. However, historians dismiss this possibility as well. Experts believe these stories were concocted by enthusiasts out of their sheer love for the dish after it became popular.
There are also those who argue that the name stuck because it was the 65th item on the menu when it was first created. Others suggest that 65 varieties of chili peppers were used in the recipe. Historians deny all these claims as well. If none of these are true, then what is the actual reason for the name?

The True History of Chicken 65:

The origin of Chicken 65 can be traced back to the Buhari Hotel, located on Mount Road in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
The year was 1965. A.M. Buhari, the owner of Buhari Hotel, introduced a new experimental chicken dish to his restaurant's menu. Surprisingly, the dish gained attention almost immediately. Its popularity soon spread beyond the walls of Buhari Hotel, eventually becoming a trend across the entire country. Since the dish was created in 1965, it was christened ‘Chicken 65’ on the menu.

Following the massive success of Chicken 65, Buhari Hotel attempted to introduce other chicken variations, such as Chicken 78 in 1978, Chicken 82 in 1982, and Chicken 90 in 1990. However, only Chicken 65 managed to transcend borders and stand the test of time with the same grandeur it held decades ago.