History Main / SecretIngredient

* Played with in one of the "Grimtooth's Traps" books. A butcher shop's offerings have a "mysterious and forbidden flavor". If the adventuring party takes the wrong exit after lunch, they end up [[ImAHumanitarian on the menu]] -- the unlabeled "meat" is from other dungeon delvers who walked into the processing department.

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheProudFamily'' Suga Mama's cooking is so delicious because she put her foot in it. Normally this is just a turn of phrase, [[LiteralMetaphor but she meant it literally]], and revealed it on a national TV show which caused everyone to get sick.

* Invoked but ultimately averted with the "Secret Ingredient Soup" in ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'': Po's (adoptive) father eventually reveals that there ''is'' no "secret ingredient" apart from its maker's skill.

* Mitrofan Lagidze, the creator of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagidze_water Lagidze water]], was once accused of using some secret ingredient by UsefulNotes/JosephStalin himself. Lag8dze proceeded to make his famous drink right in front of Stalin, after which the latter was forced fo admit this trope isn't always the explanation.

* ManVFood does this a lot: everywhere Adam Richman goes to pork out (or indeed to make mere porking out look like anorexia by comparison), the eaterie inevitably has a "secret spice" or a "secret ingredient".

* When [[Series/TheRedGreenShow RedGreen]] makes "Possum Lodge chili," the secret ingredient is kerosine. He claims that the poison cooks out.

* In ''VideoGame/Hitman2016'', one of the targets in the Sapienza level, Silvio Caruso, spends ridiculous amounts of money hiring the best chefs in the world to try and recreate his deceased mother's secret spaghetti sauce recipe, and all of their attempts have failed miserably. However, do a bit of exploration around the level and you might discover the secret: [[spoiler:There ''is'' no recipe, she used store-bought sauce from a can]].

* When ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyBravo'' wins a trip to the factory where they make Jake's Jerky, he sees his friend disappear into the vat labeled "Secret Ingredient," not realizing that his friend was only investigating it for himself. He then bursts into a press conference shouting, [[SoylentGreen "Jake's Jerky is people!"]]

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheProudFamily'' Suga Mama's cooking is so delicious because she put her foot in it. Normally this is just a turn of phrase, but she meant it literally, and revealed it on a national TV show which caused everyone to get sick.

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* In a DonaldDuck comic book story, he insisted on putting ketchup on all of Daisy's cooking, much to her annoyance, because it just didn't taste as good as Grandma Duck's food. When Daisy checks with Grandma, it turns out the old lady's secret ingredient is... ketchup, which she puts in everything.

[[folder: Films -- Animated ]]

* Invoked but ultimately averted with the "Secret Ingredient Soup" in ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'': Po's (adoptive) father eventually reveals that there ''is'' no "secret ingredient" apart from its maker's skill.

[[folder: Films -- Live-Action ]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live Action Television ]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

[[folder: Fan Fiction ]]

* In Nightmare Night and Nyx, a fanfic of Fanfic/PastSins, which is [[RecursiveFanfiction itself a fanfic]] of WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic, Flitter[[note]]an OC, not the background character by the same name[[/note]] really likes Twist's candy canes. It turns out they have love as a secret ingredient. [[spoiler:Literally. Flitter turns out to be a changeling, a race of shapeshifters who eat love.]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* In ''VideoGame/Hitman2016'', Silvio Caruso has hired countless chefs of world-renowned culinary skill to try and recreate his deceased mother's secret spaghetti sauce recipe, and absolutely all of them have failed miserably. However, do a bit of exploration around the level and you might discover her secret: [[spoiler:there is no recipe, she used store-bought sauce]].

** The Big Mac sauce was admitted in 2012 not to have been a secret for several years, having been available online for some time (it's Thousand Island Dressing). The ''[[BritishNewspapers Daily Mail]]'' (for once not spreading hysteria) [[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2171302/How-make-Big-Mac-home-McDonalds-chef-explains-secret.html explains]].

[[folder: Film ]]

* In Film/PlanetTerror, a subplot deals with JT trying to find the perfect BBQ sauce recipe. Before he tastes a sample, it gets mixed with some of his blood, leading him to correctly deduce from it that all that was missing was a little bit of salt (since human blood tastes salty).

[[AC:ComicBooks]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTelevision]]

[[AC:TabletopGames]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

[[AC:FanFiction]]

[[AC:RealLife]]

* ''CakeBoss'': Buddy has ordered the cameraman to stop filming a couple times, so Buddy can add a secret ingredient without the show's viewers learning what it is.

* One episode of ''TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'' featured the gang selling cookies made with the recipie of Grim's Aunt Kali. After they prove a success, Aunt Kali gives in and says that the secred ingredient is bugs, ticks and nightcrawlers. People are horrified at first... before they immediately resume eating them.

* Ed's secret sauce from ''GoodBurger''.

* At the end of the ''BackAtTheBarnyard'' episode, "Chez Pig", all of the barnyard animals ask Pig for the secret ingredient of his grandma's Truffle Pies, Pig finally gives in but when he reveals the secret ingredient, [[SoundEffectBleep a duck shows up and quacks]], completely drowning out what Pig said. However, the other animals are heard exclaiming in disgust, implying that the secret ingredient was actually disgusting.

* In ''Film/DemolitionMan'' John Spartan eats a burger made in the underground sewers by the people that live there. He keeps saying how great it is and then is told they are rat burgers. Most people would be disgusted, but he just keeps on eating it. Likely case of beggars cant be choosers since he literally couldn't find a better burger in a vegetarian only society.

* Plankton's schemes in ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' revolve entirely around discovering the secret ingredient of the Krabby Patty at business rival Mr. Krabs' The Krusty Krab. At one point (after overtaking the restaurant with the help of his millions of hillbilly brethren), Plankton finds out that the secret ingredient is actual plankton ([[GoMadFromTheRevelation Plankton and his family do not take the news well], except for Cousin Clem who can't read]), but Mr. Krabs reveals that it wasn't the real secret ingredient, [[CrazyPrepared just a fake one used to dupe Plankton]]. Another episode involves the entire restaurant going into lockdown as the secret ingredient is air-lifted in.

* Plankton's schemes in ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' revolve entirely around discovering the secret ingredient of the Krabby Patty at business rival Mr. Krabs' The Krusty Krab. At one point (after overtaking the restaurant with the help of his millions of hillbilly brethren), Plankton finds out that the secret ingredient is actual plankton ([[GoMadFromTheRevelation Plankton and his family do not take the news well]]), but Mr. Krabs reveals that it wasn't the real secret ingredient, [[CrazyPrepared just a fake one used to dupe Plankton]]. Another episode involves the entire restaurant going into lockdown as the secret ingredient is air-lifted in.

* One episode of ''TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'' featured the gang selling cookies made with the recipie of Grim's Aunt Kali. After they prove a success, aunt Kali gives in and says that the secred ingredient is bugs, ticks and nightcrawlers. People are horrified at first... before they immediately resume eating them.

* In an episode of ''TheProudFamily'' Suga Mama's cooking is so delicious because she put her foot in it. Normally this is just a turn of phrase, but she meant it literally, and revealed it on a national TV show which caused everyone to get sick.

* The opening narration of ''ThePowerpuffGirls'':

* Plankton's schemes in ''SpongeBobSquarePants'' revolve entirely around discovering the secret ingredient of the Krabby Patty at business rival Mr. Krabs' The Krusty Krab. At one point (after overtaking the restaurant with the help of his millions of hillbilly brethren), Plankton finds out that the secret ingredient is actual plankton ([[GoMadFromTheRevelation Plankton and his family do not take the news well]]), but Mr. Krabs reveals that it wasn't the real secret ingredient, [[CrazyPrepared just a fake one used to dupe Plankton]]. Another episode involves the entire restaurant going into lockdown as the secret ingredient is air-lifted in.
* When JohnnyBravo wins a trip to the factory where they make Jake's Jerky, he sees his friend disappear into the vat labeled "Secret Ingredient," not realizing that his friend was only investigating it for himself. He then bursts into a press conference shouting, [[SoylentGreen "Jake's Jerky is people!"]]

* In a DonaldDuck comic book story, he insisted on putting ketchup on all of Daisy's cooking, much to her annoyance, because it just didn't taste as good as Grandma Duck's food. When Daisy checks with Grandma, it turns out the old lady's secret ingredient is...ketchup, which she puts in everything.

* In ''PhineasAndFerb'' ("Meatloaf Surprise"), the secret ingredient in the Doofenshmirtz family meatloaf recipe is hate. "Usually it's love, but Great-Grandma Gretel had some issues."
* In ''CourageTheCowardlyDog'', the secret ingredient in all of Muriel's cooking is vinegar. Even in ''candy''.