Mount Cook Muesli. Photography by Claire Freierman | THE NIBBLE.
|
KAREN HOCHMAN is Editorial Director of THE NIBBLE.
|
|
September 2008
Last Updated January 2012
|
|
Southern Alps Dried Fruit
Page 2: Breakfast Cereal
This is Page 2 of a two-page article. Click on the black links below to visit Page 1.
Breakfast Cereal
Two cereals available in the U.S. include No.1, Mount Cook Muesli, and No.5, Sunset Granola.
Mount Cook Muesli honors the highest mountain in New Zealand. It lies in the Southern Alps mountain range. We loved this particular blend of oats, barley flakes and puffed rice with dried fruits, nuts and seeds. It is a treasure chest of chunky bananas, bran sticks, brazil nuts, cashews, mango slices, raisins, pumpkin seeds and yellow figs.
Sunset Granola is bit too tart for us, but if you like the flavor profile, it’s very spunky. It has blueberries, cranberries, ginger, nectarines, pumpkin seeds, roast hazelnuts and strawberries. The sweetness of the honey used to toast the oats contrasts with the tartness of the cranberries.
|
|
No.5, Sunset Granola. |
A Brief History Of Granola & Muesli
Muesli, the German word for “mixture,” is a breakfast cereal of Swiss origin, made of uncooked grains, nuts and dried fruits. The product was developed in the late 1890s by Dr. Maximilian Bircher-Benner (1867-1939), a physician and a pioneer in nutritional research, as a health food for his Zürich sanatorium patients. It was originally called Birchermüesli, a name under which it can still be found from some manufacturers.
In contrast to opinions about nutrition in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Bircher-Benner advocated a diet heavy in uncooked fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Muesli itself is supposedly based on a dish he and his wife encountered among Alpine shepherds.
Dr. Bircher-Benner’s recipe was different from what is called muesli today. Rolled oats, fresh-grated apples and ground almonds or hazelnuts were made into a type of mush. Muesli in its modern form became popular in western countries in the 1960s as part of increased interest in healthy vegetarian diets. It is usually eaten with milk, yogurt or fruit juice, and is different from granola.
Granola and Granula were trademarked products in the late 19th century in the U.S. Whole grain products, they were crumbled and baked until crispy. The food and name were revived in the 1960s, and fruits and nuts were added to make it a health food popular with the hippie movement. Today’s granolas often include brown sugar (not a health food).
Sprinkle either cereal over fresh fruit or yogurt, enjoy it with milk, or heat it up into a porridge. There's no need to add sugar—even with those tart cranberries, the other Southern Alps fruits sweeten the bowl.
SOUTHERN ALPS
Dried Fruit, Fruit & Nut Mixes, Granola & Muesli
- Gift Box
1 Pound
$24.99
- Dried Fruit
2.3-Ounce Bag
$2.99
- Mixes
3-Ounce Bag
$3.99
- Granola & Muesli
12 Ounces
$7.99
Purchase online* at
iGourmet.com
|
|
Beautiful white mulberries taste like honey.
|
*Prices and product availability are verified at publication but are subject to change. Shipping is additional. These items are offered by a third party and THE NIBBLE has no relationship with them. This link to purchase is provided as a reader convenience.
|
