Rice Krispies facts for kids
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| Type | Cereal of crisped rice |
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| Owner | Kellogg Company |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 10 July 1927 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
Rice Krispies is a popular breakfast cereal that many people enjoy. It's known as Rice Bubbles in Australia and New Zealand. This crunchy cereal was first sold by Kellogg's in 1928.
Rice Krispies are made from crisped rice. This means rice and sugar are mixed into a paste, shaped into tiny rice grains, cooked, dried, and then toasted. This process makes them expand and become very light and hollow. That's why they are so crunchy! When you pour milk over them, the thin walls of the cereal collapse, making those famous "snap, crackle and pop" sounds.
Rice Krispies have been advertised for a long time. Their fun elf cartoon characters, Snap, Crackle, and Pop, help tell everyone about the cereal. Did you know that in 1963, The Rolling Stones even recorded a short song for a Rice Krispies TV commercial?
Contents
How Rice Krispies Are Made
Rice Krispies are created by the Kellogg Company. The famous "Snap, Crackle and Pop" slogan started in 1939. Back then, ads said the cereal would stay "crackly crisp in milk or cream...not mushy!" They even claimed it would float and not sink for up to two hours!
Unlike shredded or flaked cereals, Rice Krispies are made using a special process Kellogg's calls "oven-popping." This method involves drying the rice to a certain moisture level. Then, it's shaped and dried again. When this specially prepared rice is heated to a high temperature, it expands. This makes the cereal light, airy, and easy to chew.
What's Inside Your Bowl?
Rice Krispies contain several ingredients that make them tasty and nutritious. The main ingredients are rice, sugar, and salt. They also have malt flavoring.
To help you stay healthy, Rice Krispies are fortified with important vitamins and minerals. These include iron, ascorbic acid (which is vitamin C), vitamin E, niacinamide, vitamin A, vitamin B6, riboflavin (vitamin B2), thiamin (vitamin B1), folic acid, vitamin B12, and vitamin D.
Kellogg's says that the rice used for the cereal in the United States comes from farms in Louisiana and Arkansas.
Different Kinds of Krispies
Over the years, Kellogg's has made many different versions of Rice Krispies. Some are still around today, and some were only available for a short time.
Present Day Flavors
The names of Rice Krispies products can be different depending on the country. Here are some you might find:
- Cocoa Krispies: This is a chocolate-flavored version. It's called Coco Pops in many countries like the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
- Rice Krispies with Vanilla Flavor: You can find this one in Canada and South Africa.
- Chocolate and Vanilla Rice Krispies: This cereal has a mix of both chocolate and vanilla-flavored Krispies. It came out in 2007.
- Rice Krispies Treats Cereal: This cereal has clusters of Krispies held together with a marshmallow coating. It was first introduced in 1993.
- Strawberry Pops: Sold in South Africa.
- Kellogg's Strawberry Krispies.
Many other companies also make their own versions of Rice Krispies, including frosted and chocolate kinds. These are often called generic brands.
Past Flavors You Might Not See Anymore
Kellogg's has tried out many fun flavors that are no longer sold:
- Frosted Rice Krispies: This was a frosted version, known as Ricicles in the UK and Ireland.
- Marshmallow Rice Krispies: These had tiny marshmallows mixed in. There was even a tropical fruit version! They were sold in the United States and Canada but were stopped in the late 1990s.
- Strawberry Krispies: There were a few strawberry-flavored versions, like Strawberry Krispies (1983) and Strawberry Rice Krispies (1997).
- Banana-flavored Rice Krispies: These included Banana Bubbles and Banana Krispies.
- Razzle Dazzle Rice Krispies: A very sweet, brightly colored cereal sold from 1997 to 1999.
- Apple Cinnamon Rice Krispies: This cereal tasted like apple and cinnamon and was sold in the early 1990s.
- Berry Krispies: These had berry flavors.
- Honey Rice Krispies: A honey-flavored version sold in the UK and Canada in the late 1990s.
In the late 1990s, Kellogg's even made special Halloween Rice Krispies with orange Krispies!
Rice Krispies Treats and Other Sweets
In 1939, a Kellogg's employee named Mildred Day created a recipe for a Camp Fire Girls bake sale. She mixed Rice Krispies with melted marshmallows and margarine. This simple recipe became super popular and is now known as Rice Krispies Treats.
Kellogg's now sells ready-made versions of these treats. They are called Rice Krispies Squares in Canada and the UK, and Rice Krispies Treats in the United States.
In Australia, Rice Bubbles are used to make a well-known homemade sweet called the chocolate crackle. This treat is often found at school fetes and is made with Rice Bubbles, copha (a type of vegetable shortening), and cocoa. In the UK, people make a similar treat with Rice Krispies and melted chocolate. Another Australian sweet using Rice Bubbles is White Christmas, which also includes milk powder, copha, and dried fruit.
Fun Facts and Advertising
Cartoon Mascots
The famous cartoon mascots for Rice Krispies are Snap! Crackle! and Pop!. An artist named Vernon Grant created them in the 1930s. Snap, who looks like a gnome, first appeared on a Rice Krispies box in 1933. Crackle and Pop joined him later, and since 1939, all three have been together in many ads, including radio shows, short movies, and comic strips.
An updated version of the elf-like Snap, Crackle, and Pop first appeared on TV in 1960. Before that, the cereal was advertised by Woody Woodpecker. These three elves are the first and longest-running cartoon characters to represent a Kellogg's product!
Catchy Slogans
Rice Krispies has had many memorable slogans over the years:
- Snap! Crackle! Pop! Rice Krispies! (1966–present)
- It's Going to Be a Rice Day (1960s)
- The taste that tickles (early 1990s-2000s, Canadian)
- Snap! Crackle! Pop! Nutritious! (late 1997–1999, Canadian)
- What do your Rice Krispies say to you? (1990–1998)
- Childhood is Calling (2006–present)
- Moms Just Know (2007–present)
"Snap, Crackle and Pop" Sounds Around the World
The cereal is famous for the sounds it makes when you add milk. These sounds are called onomatopoeic, meaning the words sound like the noise they describe. The sounds are even different in other languages!
