Cream of Wheat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Cream of Wheat

Type	Porridge
Course	Breakfast
Place of origin	United States
Region or state	Grand Forks, North Dakota
Invented	1893 (1893)
Serving temperature	Hot
Main ingredients	Farina, water or milk

Cream of Wheat is a popular American breakfast cereal. It is a type of porridge made from a special part of wheat called farina. Farina is ground wheat kernels. Cream of Wheat looks a bit like grits, but it feels much smoother when you eat it. This is because grits are made from ground corn, not wheat.

This cereal was first made in the United States in 1893. It was created by wheat millers in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Cream of Wheat was first shown to the public at a big event called the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois.

There is also a similar product called Cream of Rice. It is made from rice instead of wheat. Doctors often suggest Cream of Rice as one of the first foods for babies and young children. It is also good for people who cannot eat wheat or gluten.

Cream of Wheat was owned by a company called Nabisco for many years, from 1961 to 2000. Then, Kraft Foods Inc. bought Nabisco. In 2007, a company called B&G Foods bought both the Cream of Wheat and Cream of Rice brands from Kraft.

The Story of Cream of Wheat

Cream of Wheat packaging and powder in a bowl

In 1893, there was a difficult economic time in the United States. The Diamond Milling Company in Grand Forks was having trouble selling its flour. Prices were low, and fewer people were buying.

Tom Amidon, the head miller at Diamond, had an idea. He was from Scotland. He suggested that the company sell a breakfast porridge. His wife often made this porridge from the part of the wheat that was not used for flour. This part is called "middlings" and is full of protein.

At first, the owners of Diamond Milling Company, Emery Mapes, George Bull, and George Clifford, were not interested. But they finally agreed to try selling the new product. They sent 10 boxes of the porridge to their sellers in New York. These boxes were handmade by Amidon.

Another worker suggested the name "Cream of Wheat." This name was written by hand on the boxes. The boxes also had a picture of a chef holding a saucepan. This picture was one that Mapes, who used to be a printer, already had.

Just a few hours after the sellers gave the product to grocery stores, they sent a telegram to Diamond. They ordered 50 more cases! The very next morning, they sent another telegram. It said, "FORGET THE FLOUR. SEND US A CAR OF CREAM OF WHEAT."

Because of this huge demand, Diamond Milling Company started making only Cream of Wheat. As more and more people wanted the cereal, the company moved to a bigger factory in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1897. They also changed their name to The Cream of Wheat Company.

The company grew quickly. They moved to an even bigger factory in Minneapolis in 1903. In 1927, they moved to a third factory, where they made Cream of Wheat for many years. In 1929, the company's shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Over time, new types of Cream of Wheat were made. In 1939, they introduced "Enriched Quick Cream of Wheat." This version cooked much faster, in just 2 and a half minutes, compared to the original 10 minutes. It also had extra vitamins and minerals. In 1958, "Instant Cream of Wheat" came out, which cooked in only 30 seconds.

In 1961, the National Biscuit Co. (later called Nabisco) bought Cream of Wheat. Later, in 2000, Philip Morris Companies bought Nabisco and Cream of Wheat. They then combined it with their Kraft Foods company. Kraft closed the Cream of Wheat factory in Minnesota in 2002. Production moved to other Kraft factories. In 2007, B&G Foods bought Cream of Wheat from Kraft.

All About Cream of Rice

Even though Cream of Rice and Cream of Wheat are similar today, they started out as completely separate products. They were not owned by the same company until 1983.

The Cream of Rice Company started in Chicago in October 1915. Its founders were T. C. Fredrich, O. C. Wilson, and Howard D. Stewart. The company's secretary, Frank O. Balch, applied to trademark the "Cream of Rice" logo in December 1915. The trademark was officially registered in 1917.

The company sold a lot of Cream of Rice at first. By February 1916, it was sold in more than half of the stores in Chicago. However, the company closed down in 1921. A new company, the American Rice Products Company, was formed in 1921. It took over the "Cream of Rice" brand.

In 1937, the Grocery Store Products Company bought the brand. It was first made in New Orleans. In 1949, the production moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania.

In 1983, Clorox sold Cream of Rice to Nabisco. Nabisco already owned Cream of Wheat. This brought the two brands together. Production for both cereals was then done at the Cream of Wheat factories in Minneapolis.

How to Make Cream of Wheat

Making Cream of Wheat is easy! You just boil water or milk. Then, you slowly pour in the farina while stirring. As you stir, the cereal gets thicker. If you use milk instead of water, or both, it will taste even creamier.

In the United States, you can buy three types of unflavored Cream of Wheat. These cook in 10 minutes, 2 and a half minutes, or 1 minute. In Canada, there are two types: 8-minute and 3-minute.

Cream of Wheat also comes in instant packets. You just mix the contents of a packet with hot water. Then, you let it sit in a bowl for about two minutes. It's ready to eat!

Many people like to add things to their hot cereal. You can add sugar, fruit, or nuts. Because of this, the instant Cream of Wheat comes in several flavors. These include Original, Apples 'N' Cinnamon, Maple Brown Sugar, Strawberries 'N' Cream, and Cinnamon Swirl. In 2012, a new chocolate flavor was added. Later, a Bananas & Cream flavor also became available.

Famous Ads for Cream of Wheat

Many famous artists helped create advertisements for Cream of Wheat. These artists include N. C. Wyeth, J. C. Leyendecker, and Henry Hutt. Their artwork helped make the brand well-known.

Gallery

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  A Cream of Wheat advertisement from 1918

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  Oil on canvas by N.C. Wyeth 1908 "Where the mail goes Cream of Wheat goes"

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  Artist: Henry Hutt – 1908 watercolor

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  Artist: John Howitt – 1909

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  Artist: Denman Fink – 1911

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  A Cream of Wheat advertisement from 1917

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  A Cream of Wheat advertisement from between 1901 and 1925

See also

In Spanish: Crema de trigo para niños

• Frumenty
• Grits
• List of porridges
• Malt-o-Meal
• Maypo
• Semolina