Milo

Milo 1940s can

History

In 1934, Australian industrial chemist and inventor Thomas Mayne developed Milo and launched it at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Milo began production at the plant located in Smithtown, near Kempsey on the North Coast of New South Wales. The name was derived from the famous Greek athlete Milo of Crotona, after his legendary strength.

Milo Around the World

In Australia and most other countries, the packaging is green and depicts people playing various sports on the tin. An organisation called "Milo Cricket", which operates in most areas by volunteers, gives participating children small packets of Milo to eat or drink. The commercials and taglines are "Go and go and go with Milo". A recent Australian commercial incorporating this slogan depicts four generations of women on a skipping rope singing "and my mum gave me Milo to go and go and go." The tag "I need my Milo Today" is also used, because of the products low glycemic index. The packaging of tins of Milo in Malaysia and Singapore are also green and also have people playing sports on the tins. In Colombia, Milo is closely tied to football (soccer), and the slogan several generations have sung is Milo te da energía, la meta la pones tú ("Milo gives you energy, you set the finish line").

Milo is very popular in Malaysia and Singapore, where the brand name is synonymous with chocolate flavored drinks: Milo has a 90% market share in Malaysia (not the often quoted 90% worldwide share of Milo consumption), and Malaysians were said to be the world’s largest consumers of Milo. This is because Milo was once used as a nutrient supplement when it was first introduced in the country, and has thus gained a reputation as a 'must have' drink for the old and the younger generations. Milo manufactured in Malaysia is made to dissolve well in hot water to produce a smooth hot chocolate drink, or with ice added for a cold drink. "Milo Vans" were often associated with primary school's sports day where pupils queued up to collect their cups of Milo drinks using coupons Milo served locally in kopitiams and mamak stalls offering versions such as "Milo Dinosaur" (a cup of Milo with an extra spoonful of powdered undissolved Milo added to it), "Milo Godzilla" (a cup of Milo with ice cream and/or topped with whipped cream) and "Neslo" (combined with Nescafe powdered coffee).

In Peru, during the 1970s military dictatorship, Milo's powder can labels displayed promotion images of Peruvian motifs, such as photos of Peruvian towns and crops, or zoology and botany, as an educational aid. After 1980, when the military left power, the advertising fit to a sports image.

The Indian version is no longer in production because of intense competition from other beverages.
Nestle has now introduced a Canadian version of Milo. It is made in Canada. It dissolves rapidly like Nesquik, probably due to market expectations, but still retains the malt flavour. It is also sweeter than other varieties. This Canadian variety has been available since early 2006 and is widely available in the above mentioned stores as well as Superstore, Extra Foods and London Drugs. Some East Asian supermarkets (such as T&T Supermarket in Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary) will carry the version imported from China or Hong Kong.

In the United States, Nestle USA markets Milo. In 2010, canned ready to drink Milo from Malaysia could be found in Target stores as well as a variety of local grocery stores. The powdered variety can also be found in some stores.

It can also be found in the UK in some Sainsbury's and Tesco supermarkets, which import it from Kenya or Uganda. Oriental Food specialists, such as Mini Siam Oriental Foods and Hoo Hing also stock it. A similar product called Ovaltine is most popular with UK consumers.

How to prepare

Milo is added to hot or cold milk to make a malted chocolate beverage. It does not dissolve readily in cold milk, and so retains the gritty texture of its raw state. Milo can be stirred into steamed milk or hot water to make a drink akin to hot chocolate or cocoa. Another possible use is making a normal cup of cold Milo and microwaving it for approximately 40–60 seconds. This gives the Milo drink a biscuity cover on top.
Milo is sometimes sprinkled on ice cream, or less commonly breakfast cereals. Milo is often the favoured beverage for the Tim Tam Slam.

Also very popular is the "Magic Milo" which involves adding Milo to a small amount of milk with sugar and whipping it to increase the amount of air in the milk, thereby doubling it in size. Then one adds small amounts of hot water and milk in layers stirring each new layer vigorously to maintain its lightness. A final layer of whipped cream is then topped with extra Milo or chocolate sprinkles. This is more of a 'warm' beverage rather than a 'hot' one and is a more popular version of hot Milo for children.

Milo manufactured outside Australia is customised for local methods of preparation. Milo with ice added is known as "Milo Peng" (alternately, "ping"), "peng" ( 冰 ) meaning ice in Cantonese and Hokkien. In Japan, Milo is marketed as a canned energy drink, available in vending machines. In Hong Kong, Milo is served in Cha chaan teng.

Milo is also a famous beverage in Indian Muslim stalls, or fondly known as Mamak stalls in Malaysia. It is also sometimes used as an alternative to jam and put in bread or also as an ingredient in Roti Canai.

In Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean islands, Milo is a popular hot beverage analogous to tea or coffee. In the past Milo was available in Portugal and in Brazil. Nestle Brazil discontinued production of Milo in Brazil to focus on the much-popular domestic brands Nescau and Nesquik. The Chilean version of Milo is still in production and is identical in taste and texture to the one that was once produced in Brazil.

In Nigeria, Milo is also a very popular beverage.