Everyone loves a good mystery, and when it involves "finger-licking" good food, the excitement deepens. And so is the case with the recipes of some famous brands. While labelling laws require every ingredient in the product to be listed legibly, there is still some wiggle room that allows for certain legendary recipes to remain a secret.
Today, it is harder than ever to keep a "secret recipe" under wraps with chemists and food scientists breaking down just about any food product to figure out exactly how much of what makes up the final product. However, the companies listed below have remained consistently tasty, and have thus been successful in guarding their food secrets.
KFC
We all know the crispy, deep-fried golden chicken pieces are finger-lickin' good, but what we do not know is what makes them so irresistible. Urban legend has it that the recipe, hand-written by the inventor Colonel Harland Sanders, is safely tucked away in a vault. Rumours suggest that it is a combination of 11 herbs and spices, which are produced at two separate locations and then combined at a third one so that no one is privy to the full recipe
Coca Cola
Quite possibly the most legendary secret recipe on earth. The mystery and intrigue surrounding the soft drink is almost as popular as the beverage itself. Since its launch in 1892, many brands have tried to recreate the formula and failed miserably. While the cola flavour is attributed to a combination of vanilla and cinnamon, addition of ingredients such as lemon, lime and nutmeg is also speculated. The complete recipe for the world-famous fizzy drink is known only to a handful of executives.
Maggi Noodles
While the recipe for Maggi's "magic masala" may not be stored in a steel vault, it's still a secret, and a tasty one at that. Launched in the mid 80's and packaged brilliantly as the "2 minute noodles", Maggi has stood the test of time against instant noodle brands that keep popping up in the market every other day.
Krispy Kreme Plain Glazed Donut
When anyone needs a pick-me-up, the answer is without doubt, Krispy Kreme plain glazed donuts. The recipe of these fluffy snacks is privileged information and shared amongst a handful of employees only.
Dr Pepper
Created by one Charles Alderton in Texas using 23 mystery ingredients, Dr Pepper is a favourite drink world-wide, one that no other brand has been able to reproduce. While it is rumoured to be hidden in two parts, a man named Bill Waters stumbled upon a ledger in 2009 supposedly listing Dr Pepper's secret recipe. However, the company responded saying it was not the original formula, thereby kicking the mystery behind the secret recipe up a notch.
