WEBVTT 00:00:02.757 --> 00:00:04.342 - Right now on "Adam Eats the 80s," 00:00:04.426 --> 00:00:06.511 we're off to the magical place 00:00:06.678 --> 00:00:08.763 where people actually hung out with their friends 00:00:08.805 --> 00:00:11.683 face to face in the 80s, the mall. 00:00:13.476 --> 00:00:15.103 We're not shopping at Walden Books 00:00:15.145 --> 00:00:17.439 or getting music at Tape World in Sam Goody. 00:00:17.689 --> 00:00:20.942 We're heading for the food court. 00:00:20.984 --> 00:00:23.987 And today I visit the very first location 00:00:24.112 --> 00:00:26.281 of one of the most iconic food court restaurants 00:00:26.531 --> 00:00:28.199 in the 80s. 00:00:28.324 --> 00:00:31.161 To meet the man responsible for creating the dish 00:00:31.369 --> 00:00:34.205 that changed the Chinese food game in America, 00:00:34.205 --> 00:00:35.874 and to learn his secrets. 00:00:37.333 --> 00:00:39.544 That's the version I remember, baby. 00:00:39.711 --> 00:00:42.714 Then you didn't need GPS to find this treat in the mall. 00:00:42.797 --> 00:00:45.383 All you had to do was follow your nose. 00:00:45.550 --> 00:00:48.470 Now I'll see how this sweet treat got its start. 00:00:49.554 --> 00:00:51.306 I don't know any other baked treat that feels 00:00:51.347 --> 00:00:53.767 like a back rub when you eat it. 00:00:54.559 --> 00:00:57.228 Plus I'm putting an iconic 80s invention 00:00:57.353 --> 00:01:00.899 to the test to try to find out why it made a killing. 00:01:01.066 --> 00:01:01.858 Wow! 00:01:03.693 --> 00:01:07.489 I'm on the hunt to relive an extraordinary decade for food, 00:01:07.655 --> 00:01:09.491 the 1980s. 00:01:09.741 --> 00:01:11.993 I wish I could tell my seven year old self 00:01:12.035 --> 00:01:14.704 that I would be standing here 40 years later. 00:01:14.913 --> 00:01:19.250 It's an era of iconic hits and misses. 00:01:19.375 --> 00:01:20.835 Some have disappeared, but 00:01:20.919 --> 00:01:21.711 they can still be found 00:01:21.836 --> 00:01:23.838 if you know where to look. 00:01:23.880 --> 00:01:24.923 This is awesome. 00:01:25.673 --> 00:01:28.259 Why wouldn't you continue making it? 00:01:28.426 --> 00:01:29.761 Join me, Adam Richmond, as 00:01:29.844 --> 00:01:31.096 we get a long lost taste 00:01:31.096 --> 00:01:34.140 of the icons and the forgotten. 00:01:35.058 --> 00:01:36.518 Oh, talk about smell. 00:01:36.601 --> 00:01:39.270 Because food is my time machine 00:01:39.270 --> 00:01:41.272 and I've been waiting my whole life 00:01:41.397 --> 00:01:42.440 I've literally drooling. 00:01:42.565 --> 00:01:43.775 For one more bite. 00:01:52.575 --> 00:01:56.704 In 1987, over 1/2 of all retail dollars spent 00:01:56.788 --> 00:01:59.791 in the US were spent at a mall. 00:01:59.791 --> 00:02:02.377 Just 12 years earlier, it was only 1/3. 00:02:02.460 --> 00:02:06.798 And at that time, the mall was way more than just retail. 00:02:07.465 --> 00:02:09.551 You might have played Sega's Outrun, 00:02:09.801 --> 00:02:12.720 1987's highest grossing game at the arcade. 00:02:12.762 --> 00:02:15.974 Maybe you went on a date to see "Beverly Hills Cop 2," 00:02:15.974 --> 00:02:17.809 top grossing movie of the year at the theater. 00:02:17.934 --> 00:02:19.269 And if you were like me, 00:02:19.394 --> 00:02:22.147 you probably tried a new food at the food court. 00:02:22.313 --> 00:02:26.151 You could do pizza, Mexican, or skip straight to dessert 00:02:26.317 --> 00:02:28.111 with a sweet treat. 00:02:29.404 --> 00:02:31.489 One restaurant wanted to top them all 00:02:31.656 --> 00:02:34.951 by giving out free samples of its Far East flavors. 00:02:35.451 --> 00:02:36.911 And in the 80s, 00:02:36.953 --> 00:02:39.330 they invented a dish that's since become a staple 00:02:39.330 --> 00:02:41.166 of Chinese-American cuisine. 00:02:41.249 --> 00:02:43.668 That restaurant is Panda Express 00:02:43.793 --> 00:02:47.672 and their iconic creation is orange chicken. 00:02:49.007 --> 00:02:50.967 Today I'm visiting the very first Panda Express 00:02:51.176 --> 00:02:52.927 to find out how their orange chicken 00:02:53.011 --> 00:02:54.429 created a restaurant empire. 00:02:57.015 --> 00:02:59.517 I'm meeting, and I can't believe I'm saying this, 00:02:59.684 --> 00:03:04.397 the creator of orange chicken, legendary chef Andy Kao. 00:03:05.190 --> 00:03:07.275 It's so fun to speak to a man so steeped 00:03:07.317 --> 00:03:09.319 in Chinese cuisine, and I'm like, 00:03:09.444 --> 00:03:11.362 "You've changed American dining, sir." 00:03:11.362 --> 00:03:12.614 - Thank you, thank you. 00:03:13.364 --> 00:03:16.367 - In 1987, Chef Andy Kao was tasked 00:03:16.492 --> 00:03:20.371 with creating new dishes for a Panda Express in Hawaii. 00:03:20.496 --> 00:03:23.041 He decided to try a version of a recipe handed down 00:03:23.208 --> 00:03:26.211 from the father of the Panda Express founder 00:03:26.294 --> 00:03:28.546 which blended local citrus flavors 00:03:28.546 --> 00:03:32.008 with a slightly spicy fried chicken. 00:03:32.217 --> 00:03:33.801 How many versions of orange chicken were there 00:03:33.843 --> 00:03:37.388 before we got the iconic Chef Andy Kao drops the mic 00:03:37.555 --> 00:03:39.849 and changes the dining landscape forever? 00:03:47.899 --> 00:03:52.237 - Can you take me through the genesis of the three versions 00:03:52.362 --> 00:03:54.572 that you made prior to the version in 1987 00:03:54.656 --> 00:03:55.907 that you perfected for Hawaii? 00:03:55.907 --> 00:03:56.783 - Yeah. 00:03:58.326 --> 00:04:00.036 - Some of the earliest Chinese food in America 00:04:00.161 --> 00:04:03.081 showed up in San Francisco in 1849 00:04:03.081 --> 00:04:04.999 as Chinese immigrants flocked to California 00:04:05.041 --> 00:04:06.376 during the Gold Rush. 00:04:06.584 --> 00:04:09.087 At the time, Chinese restaurants became known 00:04:09.212 --> 00:04:11.339 as Chop Suey houses for 00:04:11.422 --> 00:04:13.216 their most popular dish. 00:04:13.424 --> 00:04:17.762 And because of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 00:04:17.762 --> 00:04:21.015 which barred Chinese laborers from immigrating into the US, 00:04:21.099 --> 00:04:25.520 the cuisine didn't change drastically for over 100 years. 00:04:25.770 --> 00:04:29.524 In 1965, a new law did away with the restrictions 00:04:29.607 --> 00:04:33.361 and opened the door to a new wave of Chinese immigrants. 00:04:33.403 --> 00:04:36.114 As a new rush of Asian immigrants came in, 00:04:36.281 --> 00:04:40.368 they brought new influences to Chinese food in America. 00:04:40.410 --> 00:04:43.705 Just eight years later, for example, Andrew Cherng 00:04:43.746 --> 00:04:47.458 and his father Ming-Tsai Cherng opened the Panda Inn 00:04:47.583 --> 00:04:50.086 in Pasadena, California. 00:04:50.295 --> 00:04:53.131 Their new Asian flavors were evolved 00:04:53.298 --> 00:04:56.426 from traditional Cantonese dishes like pork buns 00:04:56.634 --> 00:04:58.720 and wonton soup, which laid the groundwork 00:04:58.970 --> 00:05:02.890 for their first mall expansion, Panda Express. 00:05:02.974 --> 00:05:04.976 - Okay. So what do we have? 00:05:05.143 --> 00:05:07.103 What do you put in the ladle right there? 00:05:19.449 --> 00:05:20.366 - Right. 00:05:28.791 --> 00:05:30.668 - It smells so ridiculously good in this kitchen. 00:05:30.793 --> 00:05:32.754 - Get your nose ready. 00:05:32.795 --> 00:05:34.297 - Has anyone even like seen these versions 00:05:34.505 --> 00:05:37.091 of your orange chicken since the 80s? 00:05:42.305 --> 00:05:46.142 - I'm super stoked to get an ultra exclusive tasting 00:05:46.267 --> 00:05:48.770 of these three original recipes that led 00:05:48.936 --> 00:05:52.774 to 1987's fourth and final version 00:05:52.815 --> 00:05:55.985 that made the company a global powerhouse. 00:06:00.865 --> 00:06:03.618 The shopping mall is an American icon. 00:06:03.951 --> 00:06:07.038 But the idea of being able to buy a variety of goods 00:06:07.121 --> 00:06:10.583 all in one place isn't exactly new. 00:06:10.666 --> 00:06:13.669 Ancient Romans did it at the forum. 00:06:13.753 --> 00:06:15.254 Their market was also a place 00:06:15.380 --> 00:06:18.674 for people to gather and featured rows of open air shops 00:06:18.758 --> 00:06:20.635 selling everything from bread to wine. 00:06:22.470 --> 00:06:24.972 Fast forward to the 20th century 00:06:25.014 --> 00:06:28.518 when the 80s mall food court was sometimes 00:06:28.726 --> 00:06:31.229 the only taste of international cuisine available 00:06:31.312 --> 00:06:33.064 in certain parts of the country. 00:06:33.231 --> 00:06:37.735 In 1987, Chef Andy Kao created orange chicken 00:06:37.902 --> 00:06:40.405 to specifically appeal to the American palette. 00:06:40.530 --> 00:06:43.074 The recipe went through three major iterations 00:06:43.199 --> 00:06:46.744 before he finally hit the final and now classic 00:06:46.744 --> 00:06:48.913 that is still used today. 00:06:49.080 --> 00:06:51.749 Now more than a quarter million people order it 00:06:51.833 --> 00:06:54.919 at Panda Express every day. 00:06:54.919 --> 00:06:56.546 And while it's not a traditional dish 00:06:56.671 --> 00:06:58.840 you'd find 50 years ago in China, 00:06:59.090 --> 00:07:01.926 today it's available just about everywhere. 00:07:01.926 --> 00:07:04.011 And not just Panda Express. 00:07:04.053 --> 00:07:06.597 From the school cafeteria to the frozen food section 00:07:06.597 --> 00:07:07.807 at your local supermarket. 00:07:09.225 --> 00:07:12.854 So these three versions appeared at Panda Inn 00:07:12.895 --> 00:07:16.190 and I need to pick which order they came in. 00:07:16.274 --> 00:07:18.192 I have the best job ever. 00:07:23.448 --> 00:07:25.950 This is the version with the bone in it. 00:07:26.033 --> 00:07:27.452 There's a nice tingle to it 00:07:27.618 --> 00:07:29.787 but there's also a really bright sweet note 00:07:29.954 --> 00:07:32.790 without it getting too like sugary candy sweet. 00:07:32.915 --> 00:07:34.333 It's awesome. 00:07:35.960 --> 00:07:37.253 All right. 00:07:39.172 --> 00:07:41.090 Still delicious though. 00:07:41.174 --> 00:07:42.884 It's a much more subtle flavor, so I'm thinking 00:07:43.426 --> 00:07:46.179 that this one definitely comes before that one. 00:07:52.810 --> 00:07:55.354 So crispy, so good, 00:07:55.438 --> 00:07:57.315 sweeter than the other two. 00:07:57.482 --> 00:07:59.317 The top note in that is orange. 00:07:59.442 --> 00:08:01.611 So if I had to make a prediction for order, 00:08:01.819 --> 00:08:05.990 I would say one then two then three. 00:08:06.157 --> 00:08:07.825 Yeah. - You got it correct. 00:08:07.992 --> 00:08:09.410 I go to the showcase showdown. 00:08:10.119 --> 00:08:11.496 Wow. This is awesome. 00:08:11.621 --> 00:08:14.665 The orange chicken recipe evolved to be sweeter 00:08:14.832 --> 00:08:17.418 and spicier and the actual chicken got cut 00:08:17.502 --> 00:08:21.672 into smaller pieces and was eventually served boneless. 00:08:21.839 --> 00:08:25.092 But Panda Express was not the only 80s restaurant 00:08:25.134 --> 00:08:27.929 creating a boneless chicken menu item. 00:08:28.095 --> 00:08:29.847 You have to remember that in the 80s, 00:08:29.847 --> 00:08:32.099 most chicken was sold whole 00:08:32.183 --> 00:08:35.019 while today it's estimated that 90% of the chicken sold 00:08:35.186 --> 00:08:39.774 in the US has been cut into pieces, cutlets or nuggets. 00:08:39.941 --> 00:08:41.692 McDonald's took a cue 00:08:41.859 --> 00:08:44.487 from the first ever dietary guidelines released 00:08:44.695 --> 00:08:47.031 by the government that warned against 00:08:47.031 --> 00:08:49.200 over consumption of red meat 00:08:49.325 --> 00:08:50.701 and developed a process for mass production 00:08:50.826 --> 00:08:55.790 of deboned chicken and introduced the McNugget in 1983. 00:08:56.332 --> 00:08:58.042 It was an immediate hit. 00:08:59.001 --> 00:09:01.796 The McNuggets contributed to a 12% bump 00:09:01.837 --> 00:09:06.217 leading to $8 billion in sales for McDonald's that year. 00:09:06.217 --> 00:09:09.220 And that love of McNuggets has not waned. 00:09:09.345 --> 00:09:13.474 Today McDonalds sells an average of 54 million pounds 00:09:13.558 --> 00:09:15.726 of chicken every month. 00:09:15.851 --> 00:09:18.980 To have orange chicken being served and cooked 00:09:19.146 --> 00:09:21.023 by the man who created it. 00:09:21.732 --> 00:09:22.483 - Whoa. - That's like having pizza 00:09:22.567 --> 00:09:23.985 from the guy who created pizza. 00:09:24.151 --> 00:09:25.903 There are some things that when you taste them, 00:09:26.028 --> 00:09:28.698 when you smell them, they bring you right back there. 00:09:28.823 --> 00:09:30.700 - Yeah. - And this is one of them. 00:09:30.908 --> 00:09:34.579 Chef Kao's final recipe for orange chicken proved 00:09:34.579 --> 00:09:36.497 to be the winner. 00:09:36.539 --> 00:09:39.083 And it was so popular, it helped Panda Express expand 00:09:39.208 --> 00:09:43.212 to nearly 2200 stores around the world today. 00:09:43.421 --> 00:09:46.674 The food court concept also got a bump. 00:09:46.716 --> 00:09:50.845 By the early 90s, colleges, airports, and hospitals 00:09:51.095 --> 00:09:52.680 all started converting their eating areas 00:09:52.722 --> 00:09:55.391 to offer more well known food options, 00:09:55.516 --> 00:09:56.726 just like at the mall. 00:09:56.851 --> 00:09:58.853 That's the version I remember, baby. 00:10:04.400 --> 00:10:06.736 For many teens growing up in the 80s 00:10:06.944 --> 00:10:08.946 the mall wasn't just a place with stores. 00:10:09.113 --> 00:10:10.781 It was where life happened. 00:10:11.532 --> 00:10:13.784 It's where many had their first jobs, their first date, 00:10:13.951 --> 00:10:17.246 and for some, maybe even saw their first concert. 00:10:17.455 --> 00:10:20.791 In 1987, the bins at Record World, Colony Music, 00:10:20.791 --> 00:10:24.629 and Sam Goody were filled with albums by teen stars 00:10:24.629 --> 00:10:27.131 like Debbie Gibson and New Kids on the Block 00:10:27.298 --> 00:10:29.717 and a rising 15 year old pop star named Tiffany 00:10:29.759 --> 00:10:31.886 took her music straight to the mall 00:10:32.053 --> 00:10:33.804 and kicked off her very first tour 00:10:33.971 --> 00:10:36.390 at the Bergen Mall in Paramus, New Jersey. 00:10:36.974 --> 00:10:39.769 For mom and dad, mall entertainment was most likely 00:10:39.894 --> 00:10:42.480 a live demonstration of some newfangled must have gadget 00:10:42.647 --> 00:10:44.774 like the Juiceman Juicer. 00:10:44.982 --> 00:10:47.818 - So I drink this to your good health. 00:10:47.985 --> 00:10:51.656 - Juiceman Juicers outsold 00:10:51.656 --> 00:10:54.158 all other small kitchen appliances, 00:10:54.325 --> 00:10:58.454 amassing $300 million in sales. 00:10:58.579 --> 00:11:00.498 My friends and I used to do impressions 00:11:00.665 --> 00:11:02.166 of this guy all the time. 00:11:02.333 --> 00:11:03.834 He used to go, "It's the enzymes. 00:11:03.959 --> 00:11:06.087 It's the life force." 00:11:06.337 --> 00:11:08.422 One of the big things Jay used to do was 00:11:08.464 --> 00:11:11.425 he would hand out a carrot to someone in the audience 00:11:11.509 --> 00:11:13.844 and he'd go, "Squeeze it. 00:11:13.844 --> 00:11:15.012 Squeeze it," to try to get juice out. 00:11:15.137 --> 00:11:16.514 You can't milk a carrot. 00:11:16.514 --> 00:11:18.683 Then he would put it through the juicer. 00:11:20.851 --> 00:11:22.937 Let's just see how much juice we can get. 00:11:23.104 --> 00:11:24.689 Oh, there we go. 00:11:24.772 --> 00:11:27.692 So that's one carrot's worth of juice. 00:11:27.858 --> 00:11:30.194 As ridiculous as that may be, 00:11:30.361 --> 00:11:34.323 the fact that this is still working, I'm very impressed. 00:11:34.532 --> 00:11:35.324 So... 00:11:37.034 --> 00:11:39.537 But it took a lot of carrots to get just one cup. 00:11:39.662 --> 00:11:43.290 So with 16 carrots, we still haven't gotten the full glass 00:11:43.332 --> 00:11:46.335 of juice. Not exactly practical 00:11:46.544 --> 00:11:48.629 but what better way was there to refresh yourself 00:11:48.671 --> 00:11:50.881 after your Jane Fonda workout tape 00:11:50.881 --> 00:11:53.134 than to juice your own fruits and veggies 00:11:53.217 --> 00:11:55.344 with the Juiceman Juicer? 00:11:58.013 --> 00:12:00.141 Mmm. Tastes like regret. 00:12:02.393 --> 00:12:03.477 When I think back to hanging out at the mall 00:12:03.561 --> 00:12:05.062 as a kid in the 80s, 00:12:05.062 --> 00:12:07.148 some of my fondest memories aren't just girls 00:12:07.189 --> 00:12:10.234 with big hair and the Bo Jackson cross trainers I wore 00:12:10.359 --> 00:12:12.069 to impress them. 00:12:12.069 --> 00:12:13.696 It was the sights, the sounds and of course the smells 00:12:13.821 --> 00:12:14.905 of the food court. 00:12:15.406 --> 00:12:17.575 And for many, one nostalgic smell 00:12:17.700 --> 00:12:20.870 in particular stands out sweeter than the crowd. 00:12:22.913 --> 00:12:26.000 Cinnamon buns have existed since the 18th century 00:12:26.250 --> 00:12:27.752 but they were always just another item 00:12:27.752 --> 00:12:30.421 in your baker's display case until Cinnabon 00:12:30.588 --> 00:12:33.257 brought them front and center. 00:12:33.382 --> 00:12:37.762 This magical creation was born in Washington's SeaTac Mall 00:12:37.928 --> 00:12:39.555 in 1985. 00:12:41.265 --> 00:12:43.350 Once that smell hit the mall 00:12:43.392 --> 00:12:45.895 and the shoppers followed their noses, 00:12:46.020 --> 00:12:47.980 a franchise was born. 00:12:49.106 --> 00:12:50.733 So today I'm meeting with co-founder 00:12:50.858 --> 00:12:52.735 of Cinnabon, Greg Komen. 00:12:52.860 --> 00:12:54.361 Take me back to the 80s. 00:12:54.403 --> 00:12:56.614 What was Cinnabon like in the 80s? 00:12:56.781 --> 00:12:59.366 - This was the genius of my father, Rich Komen. 00:12:59.408 --> 00:13:05.790 He saw an opportunity in the malls with display baking 00:13:05.790 --> 00:13:07.792 so that the guests could come and see all 00:13:07.917 --> 00:13:10.920 of the action going on from mixing to rolling. 00:13:11.128 --> 00:13:14.548 - How many versions were created before you arrived 00:13:14.590 --> 00:13:16.759 at these glorious numbers behind me? 00:13:16.967 --> 00:13:18.803 - Well, there were hundreds and hundreds 00:13:18.969 --> 00:13:20.304 trying to get the various textures in dough. 00:13:20.471 --> 00:13:23.599 - In 1985, hundreds of versions were tested 00:13:23.724 --> 00:13:28.437 and rejected by the co-founder himself, Rich Komen. 00:13:28.562 --> 00:13:30.898 - The problem that we are running into was the filling, 00:13:30.981 --> 00:13:31.774 the cinnamon. - Aha. 00:13:33.067 --> 00:13:35.069 That became a very challenging part 00:13:35.152 --> 00:13:36.445 of the development phase. 00:13:41.325 --> 00:13:44.703 Every thing about the 80s was big 00:13:44.995 --> 00:13:47.164 and it was all on display at the mall. 00:13:47.289 --> 00:13:50.960 Big hair, oversized blazers with big shoulder pads, 00:13:51.085 --> 00:13:53.921 and even big buns. 00:13:54.004 --> 00:13:57.341 I'm at the Mall of America where Greg Coleman is spilling 00:13:57.341 --> 00:13:59.343 all the secrets from the 80s 00:13:59.468 --> 00:14:01.929 when he created a softball sized cinnamon roll, 00:14:01.971 --> 00:14:04.014 but before they could open to the public, 00:14:04.014 --> 00:14:07.268 Cinnabon had some challenges with their recipe. 00:14:07.434 --> 00:14:08.769 Something had to change. 00:14:10.104 --> 00:14:12.857 - We found that changing the cinnamon 00:14:12.857 --> 00:14:16.694 did make a radical difference in the overall flavor. 00:14:16.777 --> 00:14:18.529 - Yeah. - And the texture. 00:14:18.529 --> 00:14:20.948 - Before they settled on their final recipe. 00:14:20.990 --> 00:14:22.825 The bakers behind Cinnabon soon discovered 00:14:22.950 --> 00:14:25.452 that all cinnamon was not created equal 00:14:25.536 --> 00:14:27.872 and finding the exact one 00:14:28.038 --> 00:14:30.291 that would set their Cinnabon apart from any 00:14:30.374 --> 00:14:32.251 and all competition 00:14:32.334 --> 00:14:34.169 took a lot of testing. 00:14:34.545 --> 00:14:37.006 To learn more about the secret cinnamon 00:14:37.214 --> 00:14:39.008 that made Cinnabon a household name, 00:14:39.133 --> 00:14:42.052 I'm joined by Executive Chef Jennifer Holwill. 00:14:42.219 --> 00:14:43.888 - So we're gonna do a little experiment here 00:14:43.888 --> 00:14:46.140 to show you what it is really doing to the inside 00:14:46.181 --> 00:14:46.891 of that cinnamon roll. 00:14:46.891 --> 00:14:48.309 - Okay. 00:14:48.350 --> 00:14:50.561 - We've got the Makara cinnamon versus kind 00:14:50.644 --> 00:14:52.313 of the grocery store cinnamon. 00:14:52.563 --> 00:14:54.481 And I will let you take that little spoon, 00:14:54.565 --> 00:14:56.650 you can stir yours. 00:14:56.692 --> 00:14:58.986 - Okay. Thank you, Chef. - I'll stir mine. 00:14:59.069 --> 00:15:02.907 My Makara is getting thick and it's gonna get gooey here. 00:15:02.907 --> 00:15:04.742 - We just mixed the same amount of water 00:15:04.825 --> 00:15:07.161 and it's powder on top still. 00:15:07.411 --> 00:15:10.998 It has a distinct sludge like characteristic 00:15:11.916 --> 00:15:13.709 by comparison to yours. 00:15:13.834 --> 00:15:16.170 - Yeah and mine continues to thicken. 00:15:17.755 --> 00:15:20.549 - When the folks at Cinnabon say Makara, 00:15:20.674 --> 00:15:22.676 what exactly do they mean? 00:15:22.718 --> 00:15:25.888 While the majority of true cinnamon is found in Sri Lanka, 00:15:26.013 --> 00:15:29.058 this secret cinnamon comes from the mountains of Indonesia 00:15:29.266 --> 00:15:31.769 high in west Sumatra and was turned 00:15:31.769 --> 00:15:35.773 into a proprietary blend by Cinnabon called Makara. 00:15:35.856 --> 00:15:38.067 It's high oil content helps give 00:15:38.192 --> 00:15:41.737 that special consistency and incomparable taste. 00:15:41.946 --> 00:15:44.448 And the smell was just as irresistible 00:15:44.573 --> 00:15:46.367 and good for business 00:15:46.408 --> 00:15:48.452 as hungry shoppers in search of the scent 00:15:48.619 --> 00:15:50.871 found themselves at the Cinnabon counter 00:15:50.913 --> 00:15:52.539 ready for a taste. 00:15:52.581 --> 00:15:54.708 - So that's the magic behind the Makara 00:15:54.750 --> 00:15:55.918 and what makes Cinnabon cinnamon rolls 00:15:56.126 --> 00:15:58.087 so ooey, gooey and delicious inside. 00:15:59.630 --> 00:16:01.548 - But there was one thing originally added 00:16:01.590 --> 00:16:04.218 that might have soured Cinnabon's success. 00:16:04.259 --> 00:16:05.386 Raisins. 00:16:07.304 --> 00:16:10.641 Adding raisins to the role dates back to the 19th century 00:16:10.641 --> 00:16:12.893 when German settlers in Philadelphia brought over 00:16:12.935 --> 00:16:15.145 a raisin filled version, which be came known 00:16:15.229 --> 00:16:18.148 as Philadelphia sticky buns. 00:16:18.315 --> 00:16:21.068 In the 80s, raisins were common in cinnamon rolls 00:16:21.110 --> 00:16:22.778 prompting the Coleman's inclusion. 00:16:22.903 --> 00:16:25.990 But Greg explains how a phone call with his father 00:16:25.990 --> 00:16:28.158 changed Cinnabon forever. 00:16:28.325 --> 00:16:29.785 - All of a sudden the phone rings in the bakery. 00:16:29.910 --> 00:16:31.829 "Welcome to Cinnabon. 00:16:31.829 --> 00:16:32.788 This Greg, can I help you?" 00:16:32.913 --> 00:16:34.748 "Greg, it's your father. 00:16:34.790 --> 00:16:35.666 There's no raisins in our cinnamon rolls." 00:16:35.749 --> 00:16:38.085 And I said, "Oh, I took them out 00:16:38.127 --> 00:16:40.504 because 20% of the people in the mall 00:16:40.504 --> 00:16:42.089 were just walking away when I told 'em 00:16:42.172 --> 00:16:43.090 there were raisins in it. 00:16:43.132 --> 00:16:44.258 So I just took 'em out." 00:16:44.508 --> 00:16:46.802 And he goes, "Good decision" and hung up. 00:16:47.011 --> 00:16:49.430 Deciding to lose raisins was huge. 00:16:49.513 --> 00:16:52.933 And that was the last change to the bun they ever made. 00:16:52.975 --> 00:16:55.978 This recipe has not changed since the 80s. 00:16:58.939 --> 00:17:02.026 All that deliciousness caused the original SeaTac location 00:17:02.026 --> 00:17:06.447 to explode in 1985 based off of the simple strength 00:17:06.488 --> 00:17:08.032 of their classic role, 00:17:08.198 --> 00:17:11.368 Cinnabon was able to expand into more than 1200 bakeries 00:17:11.493 --> 00:17:14.413 in over 50 countries all over the world today. 00:17:15.956 --> 00:17:18.459 Cinnabon also realized that free samples 00:17:18.500 --> 00:17:20.878 kept customers coming back for more. 00:17:20.878 --> 00:17:24.048 Now that I've learned the secret to their cinnamon, 00:17:24.048 --> 00:17:26.133 it's time to put it on the dough. 00:17:26.842 --> 00:17:29.303 We start the roll by a little fold up on the top, 00:17:29.344 --> 00:17:30.220 looking good. 00:17:30.387 --> 00:17:31.722 Don't be afraid to stretch it. 00:17:31.805 --> 00:17:33.182 Our guests know it's authentic 00:17:33.307 --> 00:17:35.559 cause they see it being made right in front of 'em 00:17:35.684 --> 00:17:37.394 Getting to watch these rolls get made front 00:17:37.394 --> 00:17:40.481 and center is a big part of the draw. 00:17:40.522 --> 00:17:43.484 Okay. Oh, the smell is insane. 00:17:43.525 --> 00:17:45.569 Isn't that beautiful? 00:17:45.736 --> 00:17:47.488 - Do you have to wait a certain amount of time? 00:17:47.654 --> 00:17:48.906 - Heck no, you don't have to wait a certain amount of time. 00:17:49.073 --> 00:17:50.240 - Oh, lordy, lordy. 00:17:50.407 --> 00:17:51.241 - Let's eat. 00:17:51.325 --> 00:17:52.493 How about this one right here? 00:17:52.534 --> 00:17:53.869 Watch that. 00:17:53.994 --> 00:17:55.412 Isn't that a thing of beauty? 00:17:55.412 --> 00:17:56.330 Will you stop? 00:17:56.497 --> 00:17:57.915 - Yeah. - Wow. Y'all just better 00:17:58.040 --> 00:17:59.041 keep rolling. 00:17:59.166 --> 00:18:01.043 I'm not cutting into a damn thing. 00:18:02.836 --> 00:18:03.837 Oh my God. 00:18:03.879 --> 00:18:05.339 As you get towards the center, 00:18:05.380 --> 00:18:08.884 you get that moist chewy, gooey pliability 00:18:09.093 --> 00:18:12.096 that's almost like mochi or cotton candy, 00:18:12.262 --> 00:18:14.932 but the outside almost is like a brioche. 00:18:14.932 --> 00:18:16.225 There's like this wonderful chewiness 00:18:16.350 --> 00:18:18.352 and the Makara cinnamon. 00:18:18.393 --> 00:18:20.020 And then like when you get to the frosting, 00:18:20.062 --> 00:18:21.772 it's just like kind of unfair. 00:18:21.772 --> 00:18:23.273 No one element overpowers it 00:18:23.273 --> 00:18:25.901 and that's kind of what makes it this iconic Cinnabon. 00:18:27.402 --> 00:18:29.363 This is how you travel back in time to the 80s. 00:18:29.780 --> 00:18:31.782 Cinnabon proved that one ingredient 00:18:31.782 --> 00:18:33.784 can make all the difference. 00:18:33.784 --> 00:18:36.912 And in their case, it's led to massive success. 00:18:40.457 --> 00:18:43.544 Nostalgic smells and a taste of our past, 00:18:43.710 --> 00:18:46.922 malls gave us so much joy in the 80s 00:18:47.131 --> 00:18:49.216 whether it was the sweet and spicy crunch 00:18:49.258 --> 00:18:52.553 of a free sample of orange chicken from Panda Express, 00:18:52.719 --> 00:18:55.139 or maybe inspiration from a juicer demo 00:18:55.139 --> 00:18:58.475 promising you can juice your way to a healthy new life 00:18:58.600 --> 00:19:02.980 or the alluring and oh so tempting smell of Cinnabons 00:19:03.147 --> 00:19:04.898 drifting through the air. 00:19:04.940 --> 00:19:07.651 In the 80s, anything and everything that could happen 00:19:07.818 --> 00:19:09.403 seemed to happen at the mall.