Shake 'n Bake

Shake 'n Bake, manufactured by Kraft Foods, is a flavored bread crumb-style coating for chicken and pork. The product is applied by placing raw meat pieces in a bag containing the coating, closing the bag, and shaking so the particles adhere. The coated meat is then baked in the oven or microwave.

First introduced in 1965 by General Foods, it is currently marketed under the Kraft brand.

Concept

Shake 'n Bake mimics the texture on the outside of fried foods and is similar to a bread crumb coating. It provides a baked alternative preparation to that of fried chicken and other fried foods that use cooking oil. Shake 'n Bake has been marketed as a healthier and less-greasy alternative to frying, with slogans such as, "Shake 'n Bake: It's better than frying", and "Why fry? Shake 'n Bake".

Ingredients

Shake 'n Bake Original Pork flavor contains the following ingredients: enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate Vitamin B1, riboflavin (vitamin B₂), folic acid), salt, partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil, sugar, contains less than 2% of paprika, dextrose, dried onions, spice, caramel color, yeast, annatto (color), and natural flavor. Barbecue flavor Shake 'n Bake includes sugar, maltodextrin, salt, modified food starch, spice, partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil, brown sugar, mustard seed flour, dried onions, dried tomatoes, dried garlic, beet powder (color), citric acid, natural flavor, caramel color, vinegar, and sodium silicoaluminate as an anticaking agent.

Advertisements

Shake 'n Bake is particularly noted for its television commercials in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, starring such child actors as Carly Schroeder, Taylor Momsen, and Philip Amelio. In the ads, the aforementioned children help make Shake 'n Bake with their mothers, enthusiastically exclaiming, "And I helped!"

Advertisements for Shake 'n Bake in 1981 included Ann B. Davis, who played Alice the housekeeper on The Brady Bunch. The ad copy includes the catchphrases, "Gotta be crispy, gotta be golden, gotta be juicy", and, "You just shake then bake, and that chicken's so crisp and juicy and golden it makes me look golden, if you know what I mean".

In 1990, two commercials were produced which show what pork chops and chicken look like after frying. They then show that pork chops and chicken are crispier, juicier, more plump, and more tender when used with Shake n' Bake than when fried. They conclude with, "Why fry? Shake n' Bake".

In 1998, a new commercial was tried with a different catchphrase: "Mama made Shake 'n Bake, and I helped". This was only aired a few times and is the least recognized commercial.

In popular culture

The generic term "Shake and Bake" has multiple uses in popular culture. Examples in numerous areneas are discussed at Shake and Bake. Several examples from arts, entertainment, and media are listed below.

Film

• In the film Aliens (1986), Van Leuwen says of Hadley's Hope: "It's what we call a Shake 'n Bake colony. They set up atmosphere processors to make the air breathable...big job. Takes decades. They've already been there over twenty years. Peacefully."

• In Talladega Nights (2006), Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton Jr use "shake'n'bake" as their catchphrase throughout the movie.

Television

• In Family Guy Season 3, episode 12 - "To Love and Die in Dixie" - Lois says she made dinner with Shake 'n Bake, and Stewie replies, "And I helped!", echoing a line from the product's commercials.

• On The Simpsons, Homer is seen to like Shake 'n Bake. When working as a food critic he claims Marge's cooking only has two moves, shake and bake, to which Marge replies, "You like Shake 'n Bake, you used to put it in your coffee".

External links

• Kraft Foods