<P> After the active Iron Chefs are introduced by Alton Brown, the challenger chef is introduced . The Iron Chef introduction sequence is sometimes skipped in the holiday shows and other specials . In the first two seasons, the Chairman announced the challenger's Iron Chef opponent . Starting with Season 3, the show returned to the format of its predecessor, where the challenger chef selects the Iron Chef they will battle . In reality, the match - ups are determined well in advance in all three incarnations of the show, which is not to say that the challengers have no influence on the selection of their opponent . </P> <P> An ingredient or group of ingredients (referred to as the "secret ingredient (s)") is revealed, and the cooking begins . On occasion, the ingredients are actually a' theme meal;' for example, eggs, bacon, potatoes, etc. are revealed and thus the "secret ingredient" is breakfast . Just as with the original Iron Chef, the "secret" ingredient is not truly secret . Both the competitor and the Iron Chef are given a list of three to five ingredients before the battle, of which one will be the secret ingredient . </P> <P> Unlike Iron Chef, where chefs had roughly 5 minutes to discuss their strategy before the battle begins, the revelation of the theme ingredient occurs 45 minutes before the start of the battle . However, this segment is not shown on television, and it is a common assumption that the battle starts immediately after the secret ingredient is revealed . This practice was described on an episode of Unwrapped . </P> <P> The Chairman announces the start of each battle with: </P>

When do iron chefs learn the secret ingredient