I was a funny kid. I didn't eat much.
Though I was ravenous about candy, it wasn't unusual for me to barely touch my breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
It was a constant worry for my mother, who was assured by wise Dr. Wendleton to not worry, he'll eat when he's hungry.
One of the treats that would wake up my taste buds was a steaming bowl of Malt-O-Meal, complete with milk and, of course, sugar. I also enjoyed Cream of Wheat, and honestly couldn't tell the difference between the two competitors.
Malt-O-Meal got its start in 1919. That year, the Campbell Cereal Company was founded by by John Campbell, a miller in Owatonna, Minnesota. He invented a hot breakfast cereal which consisted of a combination of malted and farina wheat. He called it Malt-O-Meal. Campbell intended to compete with Cream of Wheat, which had gotten its start in the 1890's.
Malt-O-Meal was a hit. It sold competitively alongside Cream of Wheat, and both brands did a brisk business.
And, as I mentioned before, whichever one my mom served didn't matter much to me. I assume she bought one brand over another based on current sales prices.
However, I have a softer spot in my heart for Malt-O-Meal. That's because the company which produces it, officially known as Malt-O-Meal, continues to exist in its privately owned state today, through the Great Depression, 1970's stagflation, and a recent salmonella recall (every food manufacturer's worst nightmare).
I too work for a family-owned business, one that has been around since the 1930's, and I am familiar with the challenges of remaining independent despite economic upheavals. My hat's off to Malt-O-Meal for surviving.
The aroma of either cereal cooking on a cold winter morning helped drag my sleepy bones out of bed to face another drudgerous day at school. No matter how hungry I was (or wasn't), I could always make a bowl of the curiously warm-on-the-bottom, cold-on-the-top milk-drenched concoction disappear.
I can't remember any Malt-O-Meal commercials from my childhood, though there must have been dozens of different ones. I do recall a Cream of Wheat jingle, and one brand or the other made a TV ad about a woman living in International Falls, Minnesota, and how she enticed her kid to go to school in the subzero temperatures by serving him hot cereal.
Cream of Wheat has a spokesman, Rastus the chef, who was once presented in a very politically incorrect manner. The stereotypical figure, common among food manufacturers of the early-to-mid twentieth century, would promote the cereal with Stepin Fetchit type dialog.
As racial equality came to the forefront, Rastus, like Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben, was either silent, or spoke dignified English. The chef's name is still Rastus, but only because he was never renamed. His name hasn't been featured in an advertisement since before most of us were born.
I don't have time for breakfast any more. I'm out of bed and on the road to work by 4:00 AM. But I did enjoy the sweet aroma of Malt-O-Meal and Cream of Wheat when my wife would prepare it for our kids when they were small. May that aroma always exist somewhere in the world.
Comments (6)
Never heard of Malt o Meal but I DO remember Maltex, a delicious hot cereal. It's hard to find today.
Posted by Rhea | December 25, 2008 7:04 AM
Posted on December 25, 2008 07:04
I don't remember Malt-O-Meal during my childhood, but another hot cereal comes to mind...
"I want my Maypo!" Maypo was an oatmeal cereal with maple flavoring. The comercials had an animated kid with a large hat.
Posted by David S Paleg | December 25, 2008 9:34 AM
Posted on December 25, 2008 09:34
Just upgraded to MT 4.23, testing the commenting and notification features :-)
Posted by Ron Enderland | December 25, 2008 3:31 PM
Posted on December 25, 2008 15:31
"I want my Maypo" - My cousin & I whined for Maypo once upon a time. My aunt finally bought it and plopped the bowls in front of us...
It looked much better on tv.
Posted by Becky | December 25, 2008 6:35 PM
Posted on December 25, 2008 18:35
I love Cream of Wheat – but only the long cooking 10 minute variety – my mother used to cook it for us and would add the cereal to boiling water which caused little lumpy farinaceous dumplings to be randomly distributed in the portions. I prized those dumplings and always try to create a few when I make it now.
I still mostly eat oatmeal for breakfast and when I eat it as porridge (usually I eat it with runny fried eggs and hot sauce) I flavor it with the VT Maple syrup my parents give me every year. When I was young besides Cream of Wheat and Oatmeal, the hot cereals we had were Ralston, Maltex, and Dr. Jackson’s Roman Meal (No Malt-o-Meal and this is the 1st time I have heard of it.)
I started lobbying for Maypo when we got our first TV and Marky Maypo used the catch phrase “I want my Maypo” (in the future MTV would pick up on this theme and alter it slightly for its first come on) after his father (or grandfather?) accidently tasted it while attempting to get some into the recalcitrant Marky (pretending the spoon was an airplane entering a hangar or that he was a cowboy who loved Maypo then inadvertently got the spoon into his own mouth .)
That inspired me to use Maple syrup on all hot cereals (we had a large supply due to my father’s sugarbush and his after hours work evaporating sap in a neighbor’s sugar house.)
Throughout the years I have substituted honey, sorghum, molasses and Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup for sweetening on cereals but Maple syrup is the standard by which all others are judged.
Posted by Burt | January 5, 2009 6:41 PM
Posted on January 5, 2009 18:41
I grew up on Malt-O-Meal. It was always my favorite. I grew up in Colorado and we always had it, but when I moved to Maryland 20 years ago, I didn't see it for a long time. However, last year I found it at Target (another Colorado staple). I am a happy camper once again.
Posted by Elaine | December 21, 2009 6:52 PM
Posted on December 21, 2009 18:52