30:
224:, US to recreate his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices. Sanders recommended the Marion-Kay seasoning to franchisees over the corporate version, as he believed the latter had been made inferior by the corporation's inattention. Following Sanders' passing, KFC sued Marion-Kay in 1982, and the latter was forbidden from selling its mixture to KFC franchises as a result. The Marion-Kay seasoning is still sold under the name "99-X", and according to Sanders biographer
1238:
95:
for frying chicken. By 1993, for economic reasons, many KFC outlets had chosen to use a blend of palm and soybean oil. In Japan, the oil used is mainly the more expensive cottonseed and corn oil, as KFC Japan believes that this offers superior taste quality.
262:
and coated once in the breading mixture, then fried in oil at 350 °F (177 °C) in a pressure fryer until golden brown. As a pressure fryer was too big, a deep fryer was used alternatively as a substitute. They also claimed that with the addition of
163:
A copy of the recipe, signed by
Sanders, is stored within a vault at KFC's Louisville headquarters, along with 11 separate vials that each contain one of the ingredients. KFC employs two different firms, Griffith Laboratories and
168:, to formulate the blend; in order to maintain secrecy, each firm is given a different half of the recipe. Once the Griffith portion has been formulated, it is sent to McCormick and combined with the remaining ingredients there.
386:
While
Ledington expressed uncertainty that the recipe was the Original Recipe, he had a hand in mixing the Original Recipe for Colonel Sanders when he was a young boy, and recalled that white pepper was a principal ingredient.
242:
reported that Joe
Ledington of Kentucky, a nephew by marriage of Colonel Sanders, had claimed to have found a copy of the original KFC fried chicken recipe on a handwritten piece of paper in an envelope in a scrapbook.
155:, remains unconvinced about the contribution of the secret formula aspect. He argues: "The story may still be part of these companies' folklore, but I'd be surprised if more than 2 percent buy the brand because of it."
68:
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. While perfecting his secret recipe with 11 herbs and spices, Sanders found that
537:
146:
credited the chain's popularity to the recipe and the product, and John Y. Brown cites the "incredibly tasty, almost addictive" product as the basis of KFC's staying power. On the other hand, Allen
Adamson,
73:
chicken was too slow, requiring 30 minutes per order. Deep frying the chicken required half the time but produced dry, unevenly done chicken. In 1939, he found that using a
888:
88:; the company shipped the spices already mixed to restaurants to preserve the recipe's secrecy. He claimed that the ingredients "stand on everybody's shelf".
749:
779:
858:
488:
267:
as a flavor enhancer, they could produce fried chicken which tasted "indistinguishable" from fried chicken that they had purchased at KFC.
247:
staffers conducted a cooking test of this recipe, which took several attempts to get right. They had to determine whether the "Ts" meant
77:
produced tasty, moist chicken in eight or nine minutes. By July 1940, Sanders finalized what came to be known as his
Original Recipe.
255:. If tablespoons, the resulting mix would be 32% spice, 68% breading. If teaspoons, the mix would be 12.5% spice, 87.5% breading.
1134:
960:
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are good seasonings for chicken. Also, Winston
Shelton, a former friend of Sanders, said that the secret recipe contains
1078:
841:
471:
116:, argued that the secret recipe concept was successful because "everybody wants in on a secret" and former KFC owner
896:
655:
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757:
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KFC uses its
Original Recipe as a means to differentiate its product from its competitors. Early franchisee
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205:, Sanders's former secretary, Shirley Topmiller, revealed that Sanders learned from his mother that
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538:"Patents; Many companies will forgo patents in an effort to safeguard their trade secrets"
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described the recipe as one of the company's most valuable assets. The recipe is not
42:
458:
Kleber, John E.; Thomas D. Clark; Lowell H. Harrison; James C. Klotter (June 1992).
220:
It is well attested that
Harland Sanders asked Bill Summers of Marion-Kay Spices in
514:
Okawara, Takeshi (Summer 1993). "Universality and particularity in globalization".
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961:"KFC recipe revealed? Tribune shown family scrapbook with 11 herbs and spices"
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conducted laboratory research into the coating mix, as described in his book
92:
54:
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The Patent
Process: A Guide to Intellectual Property for the Information Age
104:
Sanders' Original Recipe of "11 herbs and spices" is one of the most famous
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197:. KFC maintains that it still adheres to Sanders' original 1940 recipe. In
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After some trial and error, they decided the chicken should be soaked in
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709:"Kentucky Fried Chicken marks 50th anniversary of first franchise"
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128:
809:
Crossan, Rob (April 26, 2012). "The A to Z of fried chicken".
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308:
293:
895:. Season 1. Episode 101. 2011. Viacom. CMT. Archived from
600:. Tapestry Press. pp. 12, 57–58, 101, 159, 175, 211.
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50:
228:, it is indistinguishable from the original KFC recipe.
131:, because patents are published in detail and come with
181:, and claimed that a sample he examined contained only
980:
598:
Secret Recipe: Why Kfc Is Still Cooking After 50 Years
786:. Associated Press. September 9, 2008. Archived from
18:
Secret blend of ingredients used in KFC fried chicken
270:
The recipe found by Joe Ledington reads as follows:
859:"Is Coke's 127-year-old recipe the same? Not quite"
624:
Dave's Way: A New Approach to Old-Fashioned Success
401:
399:
84:, they began marketing the chicken in the 1950s as
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883:
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627:. Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated. p. 82.
490:The Autobiography of the Original Celebrity Chef
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929:. University of Texas Press. pp. 95–96.
496:. Louisville: KFC. p. 42. Archived from
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656:"It pays to understand law on trade secrets"
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406:Whitworth, William (February 14, 1970).
120:called it "a brilliant marketing ploy."
80:After Sanders formed a partnership with
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135:, whereas trade secrets can remain the
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927:Colonel Sanders and the American Dream
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536:Chartrand, Sandra (February 5, 2001).
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108:in the catering industry. Franchisee
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621:Thomas, R. David (October 1, 1992).
434:"KFC still guards Colonel's secret"
13:
596:Darden, Robert (January 1, 2004).
432:Schreiner, Bruce (July 23, 2005).
14:
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959:Dodrill, Tara (August 19, 2016).
857:Choi, Candice (August 26, 2013).
112:, better known as the founder of
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139:of their holders in perpetuity.
1079:Harland Sanders Café and Museum
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748:Brady, Diane (March 29, 2012).
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1206:Kentucky Fried Chicken murders
682:"KFC on lookout for fowl play"
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1:
390:
1221:PETA satirical browser games
1195:I Love You, Colonel Sanders!
1179:Claudia Sanders Dinner House
925:Ozersky, Josh (April 2012).
824:Poundstone, William (1983).
464:University Press of Kentucky
7:
1271:Products introduced in 1952
832:. William Morrow. pp.
750:"KFC's Big Game of Chicken"
33:KFC Original Recipe chicken
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487:Sanders, Harland (2012).
460:The Kentucky Encyclopedia
60:By the very late 1930s,
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273:11 Spices – Mix with 2
166:McCormick & Company
1201:Kentucky Fried Cruelty
568:. Wiley. p. 243.
503:on September 21, 2013.
201:'s television program
86:Kentucky Fried Chicken
34:
899:on September 27, 2011
790:on September 23, 2013
151:of brand consultancy
137:intellectual property
32:
23:Further information:
1184:Curse of the Colonel
1125:Beyond Fried Chicken
1098:Products and recipes
688:. September 10, 2008
236:In August 2016, the
191:monosodium glutamate
47:fast food restaurant
45:of ingredients that
1135:Regional operations
813:. Times Newspapers.
760:on January 15, 2013
662:. February 26, 2001
222:Brownstown, Indiana
39:KFC Original Recipe
737:. October 9, 2006.
711:. Associated Press
707:Schreiner, Bruce.
562:Hovey, C. (2002).
516:Business Quarterly
173:William Poundstone
133:an expiration date
118:John Y. Brown, Jr.
35:
1248:
1247:
1072:Notable locations
936:978-0-292-74285-7
893:Top Secret Recipe
864:Houston Chronicle
686:Los Angeles Times
634:978-0-425-13501-3
607:978-1-930819-33-7
575:978-0-471-44217-2
203:Top Secret Recipe
149:managing director
64:' gas station in
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968:. Retrieved
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792:. Retrieved
788:the original
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762:. Retrieved
758:the original
754:Businessweek
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713:. Retrieved
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666:February 22,
664:. Retrieved
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638:. Retrieved
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579:. Retrieved
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545:. Retrieved
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498:the original
489:
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459:
453:
441:. Retrieved
437:
427:
415:. Retrieved
411:
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381:white pepper
351:black pepper
272:
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226:Josh Ozersky
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195:black pepper
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1120:Double Down
1115:KFC Snacker
1089:Big Chicken
1058:Advertising
1042:Roger Eaton
1032:Pete Harman
828:Big Secrets
794:January 31,
581:November 7,
373:1 t ground
369:garlic salt
357:dry mustard
345:celery salt
278:white flour
249:tablespoons
215:Tellicherry
199:Todd Wilbur
178:Big Secrets
144:Pete Harman
110:Dave Thomas
82:Pete Harman
1255:Categories
1143:By country
970:August 23,
903:October 1,
870:October 1,
391:References
260:buttermilk
71:pan frying
43:secret mix
1211:KFC Index
1028:(founder)
811:The Times
417:April 18,
253:teaspoons
171:In 1983,
1242:Category
1216:KFC rice
715:July 21,
640:April 4,
129:patented
1226:Zantigo
1063:History
1051:Company
764:July 1,
363:paprika
339:oregano
332:⁄
317:⁄
302:⁄
287:⁄
245:Tribune
159:Recipes
114:Wendy's
100:History
1153:Israel
1019:People
933:
840:
631:
604:
572:
470:
375:ginger
211:savory
153:Landor
49:chain
1158:Japan
1148:China
889:"KFC"
834:20–21
501:(PDF)
494:(PDF)
355:1 t
324:basil
309:thyme
183:flour
41:is a
972:2016
931:ISBN
905:2013
872:2013
838:ISBN
796:2013
784:CNBC
766:2012
717:2012
694:2013
668:2013
642:2013
629:ISBN
602:ISBN
583:2017
570:ISBN
549:2013
468:ISBN
445:2013
419:2015
379:3 t
367:2 t
361:4 t
349:1 t
343:1 t
294:salt
275:cups
209:and
207:sage
193:and
187:salt
122:The
37:The
1261:KFC
1012:KFC
265:MSG
251:or
51:KFC
1257::
963:.
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891:.
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