Honeycomb (cereal)
Encyclopedia
Honeycomb is a breakfast cereal
that has been made since 1965 by Post Cereals
. It consists of honey
-flavored corn
cereal bits in a honeycomb
shape. It is wheat
free.
Following this public response, in March 2007, Mullsberry (then-owner of Post Cereals) introduced a new "Improved Taste" version of the cereal, that, the company claimed, would improve "the cereal's taste, texture and appearance while incorporating key nutritional benefits to the product." This was set forth in a letter that was sent to many of the consumers who had complained to Kraft during the early months of 2007. The letter accompanied, in many instances, a complimentary box of the newly reworked Honeycomb. The new "Improved Taste" version of the cereal still was not as good as the original version to most people that grew up with it.
Three additional variations have also been created, Strawberry Blasted Honeycomb, which has added strawberry
flavoring and Chocolate Honeycomb which add a chocolate flavoring to the pieces. A new variety has been added called Cinna-Graham Honeycomb which adds a cinnamon flavor to the cereal.
Recently, Bran Blend, defined as whole grain corn flour and corn bran, has been added to the ingredient list. This has tripled the fiber content (from originally 1g to 3g per serving) and put the cereal in Kraft's Sensible Solution program. Aficionados of Honeycomb cereal tasted the difference. Post registered many calls of complaints from Honeycomb fans after the change.
) was the cereal's mascot. The cereal's jingle
was borrowed from the song "Honeycomb
", a 1957 hit for Jimmie Rodgers
.
and singing the jingle
:
During the 1980s, the cereal offered the Honeycomb Hideout Club for children, who received badges, membership cards and the like.
, Crazy Craving, was introduced. It is a wild-haired, rodentlike cartoon character who rabidly craves Honeycomb cereal and whom children in the commercials transform into. It's catch-phrase was "Me Want Honeycomb". Many people state that the Crazy Craving slightly resembled Crash Bandicoot
.
s. He is found and attempted to be socialized. Although he had clearly been a feral child
, he apparently cannot argue the fact that he is a 'bee' not a 'boy,' and he enjoys honeycomb
s. In a later commercial, a man gives a safari
-like tour for the bee boy, luring him with honeycombs. In a commercial released in 2010, a second bee boy was introduced played by Canadian actor Joel Cox.
Breakfast cereal
A breakfast cereal is a food made from processed grains that is often, but not always, eaten with the first meal of the day. It is often eaten cold, usually mixed with milk , water, or yogurt, and sometimes fruit but sometimes eaten dry. Some cereals, such as oatmeal, may be served hot as porridge...
that has been made since 1965 by Post Cereals
Post Cereals
Post Foods, LLC, also known as Post Cereals is a food company that was founded by C.W. Post in 1895 with the first Postum, a "cereal beverage," developed by Post in Battle Creek, Michigan. The first cereal, Grape-Nuts, was developed in 1897. Post has its headquarters in the Bank of America Plaza...
. It consists of honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
-flavored corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
cereal bits in a honeycomb
Honeycomb
A honeycomb is a mass of hexagonal waxcells built by honey bees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen.Beekeepers may remove the entire honeycomb to harvest honey...
shape. It is wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
free.
Versions
At the end of 2006, Post changed the formula for this popular brand of cereal in order to improve its health content. This change, although tested by Post beforehand to positive reviews, had received mainly negative reviews from consumers.Following this public response, in March 2007, Mullsberry (then-owner of Post Cereals) introduced a new "Improved Taste" version of the cereal, that, the company claimed, would improve "the cereal's taste, texture and appearance while incorporating key nutritional benefits to the product." This was set forth in a letter that was sent to many of the consumers who had complained to Kraft during the early months of 2007. The letter accompanied, in many instances, a complimentary box of the newly reworked Honeycomb. The new "Improved Taste" version of the cereal still was not as good as the original version to most people that grew up with it.
Three additional variations have also been created, Strawberry Blasted Honeycomb, which has added strawberry
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
flavoring and Chocolate Honeycomb which add a chocolate flavoring to the pieces. A new variety has been added called Cinna-Graham Honeycomb which adds a cinnamon flavor to the cereal.
Ingredients
As per the product's ingredient list, it is made of:- corn flour and bran blend (corn flour, whole grain corn flour, corn bran), sugar, whole grain oat flour, honeyHoneyHoney is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
, salt, yellow 5, BHTButylated hydroxytolueneButylated hydroxytoluene , also known as butylhydroxytoluene, is a lipophilic organic compound that is primarily used as an antioxidant food additive as well as an antioxidant additive in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, jet fuels, rubber, petroleum products, electrical transformer oil, and embalming...
added to packaging material to preserve product freshness.
- Vitamins & minerals: niacinamide (B vitamin), reduced iron, zinc oxideZinc oxideZinc oxide is an inorganic compound with the formula ZnO. It is a white powder that is insoluble in water. The powder is widely used as an additive into numerous materials and products including plastics, ceramics, glass, cement, rubber , lubricants, paints, ointments, adhesives, sealants,...
(source of zinc), vitamin B6, vitamin a palmitate, riboflavinRiboflavinRiboflavin, also known as vitamin B2 or additive E101, is an easily absorbed micronutrient with a key role in maintaining health in humans and animals. It is the central component of the cofactors FAD and FMN, and is therefore required by all flavoproteins. As such, vitamin B2 is required for a...
(Vitamin B2), thiamin mononitrate (Vitamin B1), folic acidFolic acidFolic acid and folate , as well as pteroyl-L-glutamic acid, pteroyl-L-glutamate, and pteroylmonoglutamic acid are forms of the water-soluble vitamin B9...
(B vitamin), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D
Recently, Bran Blend, defined as whole grain corn flour and corn bran, has been added to the ingredient list. This has tripled the fiber content (from originally 1g to 3g per serving) and put the cereal in Kraft's Sensible Solution program. Aficionados of Honeycomb cereal tasted the difference. Post registered many calls of complaints from Honeycomb fans after the change.
Advertising and marketing
Originally, the animated Honeycomb Kid (a cowboyCowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
) was the cereal's mascot. The cereal's jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
was borrowed from the song "Honeycomb
Honeycomb (song)
"Honeycomb" is a popular song written by Bob Merrill in 1954. The best-selling version was recorded by Jimmie Rodgers and charted at number one on the Billboard Top 100 in 1957. "Honeycomb" also reached number one on the R&B Best Sellers chart and number seven on the Country & Western Best Sellers...
", a 1957 hit for Jimmie Rodgers
Jimmie Rodgers (pop singer)
James Frederick "Jimmie" Rodgers is an American singer. He is not related to the country singer of the same name.-Career:...
.
Honeycomb Hideout
During the 1970s and '80s, television commercials featured a string of visitors to a children's clubhouse called the Honeycomb Hideout. The visitor would arrive, initially hostile, and exclaim a need for a "big" taste. The kids in the clubhouse would introduce the visitor to the cereal, winning over the visitor, examining the size of the cereal bits with a tape measureTape measure
A tape measure or measuring tape is a flexible form of ruler. It consists of a ribbon of cloth, plastic, fiber glass, or metal strip with linear-measurement markings. It is a common measuring tool. Its flexibility allows for a measure of great length to be easily carried in pocket or toolkit and...
and singing the jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
:
- Honeycomb's big...yeah yeah yeah!
- It's not small...no no no!
- Honeycomb's got...a big big bite!
- Big big (taste/crunch) in a big big bite!"
During the 1980s, the cereal offered the Honeycomb Hideout Club for children, who received badges, membership cards and the like.
Crazy Craving
In 1995, another mascotMascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
, Crazy Craving, was introduced. It is a wild-haired, rodentlike cartoon character who rabidly craves Honeycomb cereal and whom children in the commercials transform into. It's catch-phrase was "Me Want Honeycomb". Many people state that the Crazy Craving slightly resembled Crash Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot may refer to:* Crash Bandicoot , a video game protagonist* Crash Bandicoot , a video game series* Crash Bandicoot , a 1996 PlayStation video game and first Crash Bandicoot...
.
Bernard, the bee boy
A more recent commercial introduces Bernard, a boy who was raised by beeBee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s. He is found and attempted to be socialized. Although he had clearly been a feral child
Feral child
A feral child is a human child who has lived isolated from human contact from a very young age, and has no experience of human care, loving or social behavior, and, crucially, of human language...
, he apparently cannot argue the fact that he is a 'bee' not a 'boy,' and he enjoys honeycomb
Honeycomb
A honeycomb is a mass of hexagonal waxcells built by honey bees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen.Beekeepers may remove the entire honeycomb to harvest honey...
s. In a later commercial, a man gives a safari
Safari
A safari is an overland journey, usually a trip by tourists to Africa. Traditionally, the term is used for a big-game hunt, but today the term often refers to a trip taken not for the purposes of hunting, but to observe and photograph animals and other wildlife.-Etymology:Entering the English...
-like tour for the bee boy, luring him with honeycombs. In a commercial released in 2010, a second bee boy was introduced played by Canadian actor Joel Cox.
External links
- Official website
- Honeycomb at Cereal.com; includes Honeycomb snack recipes
- History and description of Honeycomb cereal and its marketing identity - includes photos and a recollection of the Honeycomb Hideout