Momofuku Cereal Milk

As much as I am an admirer of Momofuku Milk Bar and its concept, the idea of cereal milk repulses me.  

Cereal milk at Momofuku is made by toasting corn flakes and steeping them in milk, then draining the concoction.  It’s supposed to bring back memories of eating cereal as a kid then drinking the milk left in your bowl afterwards.  

I didn’t know kids like to do this.  I think I was in shock, with my chin dropped down to the floor when I read about cereal milk. Is this for real? People like this?  This was probably my least favourite thing about eating cereal. Leftover milk.  Too much milk with last bites of cereal.  Even eating a spoonful of cereal that has an unbalanced milk to cereal ratio is barely tolerated. 

When I was little, my waste-not-want-not mother demanded that I drink the milk leftover in my cereal bowl.  I was always incredibly grossed out by this; warm, weirdly tangy sweet milk, unwillingly sliding down my throat from the bowl held to my mouth.  

Apparently now a huge corporation has snatched this idea up, and has begun to make it in cans too. 

When I eat cereal today, I put the minimal amount of milk in my bowl as possible.  I like my last bite of cereal to coincide with my last spoonful of milk.  If this doesn’t happen, last bites of cereal and last splashes of milk go down the drain.  Sorry, mom.  Banished are the days of having to drink cereal milk – I’d never voluntarily do that. 

Another example of how memories associated with foods strongly shape your taste perceptions.  And your gag reflex.