Classic Food Friday: Kellog’s Corn Flakes
Last year was the one hundred year anniversary of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, a breakfast table staple that hit the mass market in 1906. Still popular one hundred years later, Corn Flakes are a great example of the kinds of foods we like to feature on Classic Food Fridays.
Created by the Kellogg brothers at their health spa in the nineteenth century, Corn Flakes are one of the most famous and profitable accidents in modern food history. Over one hundred and fifty years ago, the Kellogg brothers were advocating a diet that is often advocated today: more fiber, no meat, no tobacco, no caffeine, and no alcohol. The tasteless breakfast grains dish offered at the spa at the time was popular for its health benefits, but not for its taste. Various experiments to improve the taste unexpectedly lead to corn flakes, and later sugar was added to help the cereal sell to consumers who wanted to be health conscious but were not quite as committed as those at the spa.
The bizarre history of the Kellogg brothers has been documented in various places, including the book The Road to Wellville and the related motion picture which came out in 1988.
December 14th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
That’s so cool! I never knew that … Graham crackers have a history like that too (forgive me if you’ve posted that already).
December 14th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Oh thanks for the tip Sally! I may have to make graham crackers my post for next Friday’s classic food!