Well, well, well

Well, well
Well, hell, WELL

-- Hank Williams, Jr.

Whenever I cook a dish that calls for Worcestershire sauce, I always use Lea & Perrins.

I've often wondered what makes Lea & Perrins-brand Worcestershire taste so much better than, say, Dollar General's $1 Worcestershire. Well, now I know ...

A 170-year-old food secret was almost lost to the trash heap.

The original recipe notes for Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce have been unearthed in a dumpster near the sauce factory by former company accountant, Brian Keogh. It was unclear why he was digging through the trash.

The accountant passed away in 2006, but his discovery only recently came to light after his daughter Bonnie Clifford brought the notes to Worcester City Museums.

The ingredient list originally read as vinegar, molasses, sugar, salt, anchovies, tamarind extract, onions and garlic. The secret ingredients -- until now unknown to the public -- were simply listed as "spices" and "flavorings."

The recovered notes reveal that the secret ingredients include soy sauce, cloves, pickles, peppers and lemon.

Read the rest here.