It seems that hopes of KFC lovers soared when a reporter saw a handwritten note on the back of her last will and testament, titled "11 Spices Mix With 2 Cups White Fl" that detailed all the ingredients. Discovering the identity of the secret ingredients that coat the chicken would take a miracle. In a second larger bowl add the buttermilk and egg together and whisk until combined. And even before the patent expired, the publicly-published description of the ingredients and processcould be modified slightly to avoid liability. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Here's What's Really In The Secret Ingredients Of KFC Chicken We all shake hands and say goodbye. While perfecting his secret recipe with 11 herbs and spices, Sanders found that pan frying chicken was too slow, requiring 30 minutes per order. No one wants to think that they have no control over their cravings. But KFC decided not to, believing that the recipe was their biggest point of differentiation. While there, he arranged a meeting with Mr. Ledington, whose uncle, Col. Harland Sanders, founded Kentucky Fried Chicken and was its snowy-haired ambassador. As Harman's business grew, other restaurant owners made informal franchise agreements, and gave Sanders four cents for each chicken served. Its also worth noting that KFCs Original Recipe is now available in many countries all around the world. 4 teaspoons paprika. Plus, the fact that it was developed using a secret formula makes it even more tantalizing! Hard to say, but he might prefer it to what KFC is today. Ledington brought along a family scrapbook and went through the pages reminiscing about his uncle. 1 teaspoon dried mustard. That way, you can always expect delicious, tender pieces of original recipe chicken whenever you order from KFC! They were as follows:salt,thyme,basil,oregano, celery salt, black pepper,dry mustard,paprika,garlic salt,ground ginger, and white pepper. Itll be great to know if the original flavor of one of my favorite foods has stayed the same over time. :From the items listed, can you choose those which are one of the seven deadly sins, one of the seven dwarves, or one of the Spice Girls? But he says he's sure it's authentic because, as a boy, he helped blend those herbs and spices on the flat concrete roof of his uncle's garage. His namesake restaurant has been restored to its mid-20th-century appearance but with a modern-day KFC store as an appendage. Protecting them can be difficult, and in order to do so, specifics usually need to be put in front of an open court, defeating the entire purpose anyway. Staff at the newspaper used the document to make a batch of fried chicken and declared it "finger lickin' good." Brown, Jr. called it "a brilliant marketing ploy. Add the chicken to the buttermilk bowl and toss to coat. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. While some may argue that the original recipe is superior to all other fried chicken recipes, only KFC knows what those small changes have been throughout the years. Why? The texture, on the other hand, was not an identical match to KFC. Benefits and Reviews. However, with a new recipe outed, various outlets decided to experiment with it. [1] He claimed that the ingredients "stand on everybody's shelf". In 2008, the Louisville, Ky.-based company used a Brinks armored truck and briefcase marked Top Secret when it made a big show of beefing up security at the vault containing the Colonels handwritten recipe. So I fried the chicken in my tabletop fryer (360F until internal chicken temperature reaches 165F roughly eight minutes), as I am a fan of the lid which regulates temperature and lack of splatters. (Okay, this one is barely related to the story today Spice Girls and spices but I thank you in advance for your forgiveness.). But once it's out of the box you can never put it back in? Bonus Fact: Colonel Sanders, as he got older, wasnt a fan of KFC. Which I guess means that the handwritten recipe on Ledington's aunt's will isn't "accurate" but it's pretty much there. I grew up eating Kentucky Fried Chicken and loving every bite of it. [12] On the other hand, Allen Adamson, managing director of brand consultancy Landor, remains unconvinced about the contribution of the secret formula aspect. This one from Food.com includes things like nutmeg, vanilla bean, cardamom, sage, and coriander, none of which show up on the "official" version. He was the first one. "This was my dad, Robert Ledington. Check out the name change history on its official website and it comes off a little defensive. Feeding into the mystique, the recently revamped KFC website, www.colonelsanders.com, features a Colonel Sanders character saying he's finally ready to tell the world what's in the recipe. In a later phone interview, The Tribune said, Mr. Ledington walked back his claim, saying he had never shown the recipe to a reporter before and did not know for sure if it was as authentic as he first said. "It could be; I don't know for sure," he said about the handwritten list of ingredients, adding that this was the first time he'd shown it to a reporter. The secret recipe is great for marketing. The main ingredients for the coating, according to this recipe, are paprika (4 tablespoons), white pepper (3 tablespoons) and garlic salt (2 tablespoons). 1 tsp ground white pepper. He claimed that the recipe contains the original 11 herbs and spices he helped Colonel Sanders blend as a boy for the restaurants. The reporter met with Joe Ledington, nephew of the infamous Colonel Sanders, and was shown some of the family's extensive memorabilia. Since you're getting a lot of it at KFC, it's likely that's at least part of what makes your mouth water every time you think of that fried chicken goodness. Well, the answer is yes and no. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 175 degrees Fahrenheit. The handwritten list of 11 herbs and spices, jotted down on the back of a document Joe Ledington described as the will for Claudia Sanders, the Colonel's second wife. This all amounts to either a very clever marketing ploy or an impressive feat. The Chicago Tribune said Joe . (He would backpedal later.). Whether that's actually true or not, you'll have to judge. Restaurants Fact-Checked 9 Things You Didn't Know About KFC From menu hacks to secret recipes, there's a lot to learn about the chicken chain. Whether youre in the mood for an old favorite or trying something new, theres nothing quite like digging into a plate full of Original Recipe Chicken! KFC describes its closely guarded original fried chicken recipe as one of the biggest trade secrets in the world. The company says the original handwritten recipe is housed in a 770-pound safe encased in two feet of concrete and guarded by video cameras and motion detectors. Want to learn all sorts of interesting things? At the top of the page, in blue ink, it reads, "11 Spices Mix With 2 Cups White Fl." Many people have made these claims over the years, and no one has been accurate this one isnt either, the company said in a statement. The blend of herbs and spices gives each bite a unique taste that you wont find anywhere else. When the recipes were dumbed down, the Colonel decided to open his own restaurant as a protest. "I can show you what every family member got," he says, poring over the papers. The MSG-based ingredient was a must.) Here's what KFC doesn't want you to know. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Add the flour in a bowl with all the herbs and spices and mix with a whisk. They don't come in a bucket like the chicken, but they're seasoned with the Colonel's 11 herbs and spices. Made from Colonel Sanders secret blend of 11 herbs and spices, this iconic fried chicken is cooked to perfection using his famous finger-lickin-good technique. Each company makes half, then those two parts are combined by a computer. "It was individually hand-breaded and dropped in those pressure cookers. That's what I did as a 10-, 11-, 12-year-old kid.". Whether you try this recipe, or another copycat recipe (like user M Karen's KFC-Style Spice for Chicken recipe), there are two things you can do to get Colonel Sanders-approved chicken: heavily coat the pieces in the spice mixture and use a pressure fryer. 1 tsp ground black pepper. "The big thing we did was mix it with flour and bag it up and sell it to restaurants," Ledington says. Is Your Favorite KFC Menu Item Being Discontinued? I Tried KFC's Leaked Secret Recipe and Here's How It Went - Kitchn (They also found that the odd way of writing "Ts" actually meant "tablespoons," not teaspoons. and it contained a whole bunch of hate. I, like most people I imagine, dont own a pressure fryer. By the very late 1930s, Harland Sanders ' Corbin, Kentucky, gas station was so well known for its fried chicken that Sanders decided to remove the gas pumps and build a restaurant and motel in their place. 2. When the reporter asked if there was anything that KFC should be doing differently, Sanders first took aim at the gravy. April 30, 2015 Of course, the Tribune test kitchen tried the recipe and compared it with the real thing. Jones spotted handwriting on the back page of the will, and it seemed to list a recipe. These days, the late Colonel has been resurrected on TV commercials as a caricature played by the likes of George Hamilton and Jim Gaffigan. I'm here to visit the Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum, a shrine of sorts to the fried chicken magnate. (Jay Jones / Chicago Tribune). The real word it didn't want you to know or think of is "fried." Ledington and I shake hands, and I tell him about the assignment that brought me to this part of southeast Kentucky. KFC may not exactly replicate what you remember from your childhood trips to the restaurant but if youre looking for a delicious and familiar fried chicken experience then head on down chances are you wont be disappointed! Dan Lewis Colonel Sanders' KFC Recipe Revealed! Food Hacks - WonderHowTo Secret recipes still exist, even in these days of information overload. How Much Has Kfcs Original Recipe Changed Over The Years? KFC 'Secret Recipe' Fries Taste Test: How Good Do the New - Thrillist Eleven herbs and spices. For KFC Corp., keeping the elusive mix of 11 herbs and spices under wraps has been paramount not to mention a great marketing tool. To remain competitive, KFC has conducted numerous taste tests throughout the years to ensure they stay ahead of competitors while keeping loyal customers engaged with new flavors. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. KFCs Original Recipe isnt just about the taste; its also about how its made. She was formerly the executive lifestyle editor of Cosmopolitan.com. ), How You Can Get a Free Doughnut From Dunkin, Cardi B Shared Her Daughter's Massive School Lunch, McDonald's 'The Little Mermaid' Toys Are Here, Udon Want to Miss These Double Sesame Noodles, Sparkling Wines (Under $30!) I tried again, adding that a "yes," "no" or "no comment" would be helpful. We independently select these productsif you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Get a single chicken breast, and you've got about half your daily requirement of salt already covered. [6] The recipe is not patented, because patents are published in detail and come with an expiration date, whereas trade secrets can remain the intellectual property of their holders in perpetuity. But what is it about KFC that keeps you coming back for more, even though you might feel bad afterward, and even though you know it's not at all good for you. I do own a pressure cooker, but adding hot oil to a pressure cooker can create all sorts of havoc. Supposedly only one person knows the safe's combination, which really doesn't seem like a good idea, especially because the recipe is used in most of their meals. Here's KFC's Secret Recipe to Extra Crispy Fried Chicken - Taste of Home It's also been identified as having antidepressant qualities (in large enough quantities) and it's thought to help our digestive system do its thing with minimal disturbances. 1/3 teaspoon oregano. [19], It is well attested that Harland Sanders asked Bill Summers of Marion-Kay Spices in Brownstown, Indiana, US to recreate his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices. This recipe this isnt that. The piece reports that for the first time in decades, KFC was going to move the original handwritten recipe from KFC's headquarters to revise the security protecting the recipe, which was already so heavily guarded that access was limited to only two KFC execs in any given moment.