Rice Krispies

Rice Krispies (known as Rice Bubbles in Australia) is a brand of breakfast cereal that was created in 1927 by Kellogg's and released to the market in 1928. They are made of crisped rice, that is, rice grains which are cooked, dried and toasted. These kernels bubble and rise in a manner which forms very thin walls. When the cereal is exposed to milk or juices, these walls tend to collapse suddenly, creating the famous "Snap, crackle and pop" sounds.

In 1963, The Rolling Stones recorded a short song for a Rice Krispies television advertisement. [" [http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/goingson/2008/04/exile-on-madiso.html Exile on Madison Avenue] ," Ben Greenman, "The New Yorker" (online), 2 April 2008 (Accessed 22 July 2008)]

Controversy

In the summer of 2006, Kellogg's teamed up with Autism Speaks for a campaign called "Know the Signs". The claimed intent was to promote autism awareness via Rice Krispies cereal boxes. [cite web |url=http://www.autismspeaks.org/press/rice_krispies.php |title=Autism Speaks and Kellogg Company Team Up to Bring Autism Awareness to the Breakfast Table this Summer on more than 5 Million Rice Krispies Cereal Boxes |date=2006-06-27 |accessdate=2006-11-29] However many adult autistics protested the partnership with Autism Speaks citing (amongst other things) the ignoring of the adult population and in their video allowing one mother to talk about killing her autistic daughter.Fact|date=April 2008 Kellogg's has since removed the promotion and campaign from their website.

Variants

Present day

As well as 'plain' Rice Krispies, a number of different versions have been sold by Kellogg's. Their names vary depending on where they are sold, but there are essentially these basic versions in existence today:
* Rice Krispies with a sugar-frosted coating (including "Ricicles" and "Frosted Rice Krispies")
* Rice Krispies with chocolate (including "Coco Pops", "Cocoa Krispies" and "Cocoa Rice Krispies")
* "Rice Krispie Treats Cereal" first introduced in 1993, is a cereal based on the aforementioned treat, it contains bunches of krispies fused together by a marshmallow coating.
* Rice Krispies with berry flavors (including "Berry Krispies" [cite web |url=http://www2.kelloggs.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=5274 |title=Kellogg's Berry Krispies |accessdate=2007-06-19 |publisher=Kellogg NA Co. |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote="Distributed in USA"] and "Berry Rice Krispies"
* "Rice Krispies with Vanilla Flavour", sold in Canadacite web |url=http://www.kelloggs.ca/cgi-bin/klog-canada/product.pl?product=9830&company=2 |title=Rice Krispies with Vanilla Flavour Cereal |accessdate=2007-06-19 |publisher=Kellogg Canada Inc.]
* "Chocolate and Vanilla Rice Krispies", introduced in 2007 is a cereal containing the mixed flavors of chocolate and vanilla rice krispies.

Many generic versions of Rice Krispies (including frosted and chocolate variants) have been produced by other manufacturers under many different names. One type of brand is Krisp Rice, which is a generic brand.Fact|date=May 2008

Discontinued

Rice Krispies with dehydrated miniature marshmallows ("Marshmallow Rice Krispies") were sold briefly in the U.S. and Canada. [http://www.x-entertainment.com/messages/583.html/ "The Past In Candy"] , X-Entertainment. Article written 2002-01-02, retrieved 2006-11-29.] Despite surviving longer in Canada than the U.S., they were finally discontinued altogether during the mid-late 1990s.Fact|date=February 2007

Rice Krispies with banana flavor (including "Banana Bubbles" and "Banana Krispies") have also been sold in the past.

Rice Krispies with strawberry flavor including 1983's "Strawberry Krispies" and 1997's "Strawberry Rice Krispies".

An extremely sweet, artificially-colored, cereal known as "Razzle Dazzle Rice Krispies" in the late 1990s.

Other uses of Rice Krispies brand

In 1941, Kellogg's employee Mildred Day concocted and published a recipe for a Camp Fire Girls bake sale consisting of Rice Krispies, melted marshmallows, and margarine. It has remained a very popular snack dubbed rice krispie treats. Kellogg's themselves have now produced commercial varieties of both marshmallow and chocolate-based treats under the name "Rice Krispies Squares" in Canada [http://www.kelloggs.ca/cgi-bin/klog-canada/product.pl?family=127&template=rksbars Rice Krispies Squares] , UK. Article retrieved 2006-11-29.] and the UK, as well as versions under the original "Rice Krispies Treats" name sold in the U.S. [cite web |url=http://www.ricekrispies.com/Cupboard_treats_detail.aspx?pid=45 |title=Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats Original bars |accessdate=2007-06-19 |publisher=Kellogg NA Co]

In addition to the products above, the 'Rice Krispies' branding has also been associated with other products containing (or related to) Rice Krispies. These include commercial versions of 'Rice Krispie treats' known as 'Rice Krispies squares', cereal bars, and a multi-grain cereal known as "Rice Krispies Multi-Grain" (formerly "Muddles" [http://www.ciao.co.uk/Kellogg_s_Rice_Krispies_Muddles__5644730 "Kellogg's Rice Krispies Muddles"] (reference to former name), ciao.co.uk. Article retrieved 2006-11-29.] ) sold on the UK market. Primarily aimed at children, 'Multi-Grain' contains a prebiotic and is claimed by Kellogg's to promote good digestive health. [http://www.kelloggs.co.uk/products/product.asp?id=81 Kellogg's Rice Krispies Multi-Grain] , Kellogg's Interactive (kelloggs.co.uk). Article retrieved 2006-11-29.]

Taglines

*What do your Rice Krispies say to you? (1990 - 1998)
*Snap, Crackle, Pop, Rice Krispies! (1968 - present)
*Snap, Crackle, Pop wake up call to the world. (1998-1999)
*Childhood is Calling (2006-Present)
*Can you hear it? (Canada, present)

The "snap, crackle, pop" sound

The cereal is marketed on the basis of the noises it produces when milk is added to the bowl. In fact, Blue Man Group makes music by crunching Rice Krispies in their performances. [“The First Night Feature: Blue Man Group.” "London Theatre Guide".http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/news/display?contentId=86639] The onomatopoeic noises differ by language: [“The Tale – Snap! Crackle! & Pop! story.” "Kellogg’s Rice Krispies." http://www.ricekrispies.com/The_Tale.aspx]

*English: "Snap! Crackle! Pop!"
*Canadian French: "Cric! Crac! Croc!"
*Spanish: "Pim! Pum! Pam!"
*German: "Knisper! Knasper! Knusper!"
*Danish: "Piff! Paff! Puff!"
*Finnish: "Riks! Raks! Poks!"
*Dutch: "Pif! Paf! Pof!"
*Afrikaans: "Knap! Knaetter! Knak!"

References

External links

* [http://www.ricekrispies.com/ Official site]
* [http://www.ricekrispies.ca/ Official Canadian Site for Recipes and Product Information]
* [http://www.cereal.com/Breakfast-Cereals/ricekrispies.htm Rice Krispies Cereal and Recipes]
* [http://www.kelloggs.co.uk/products/product.asp?id=49 Ingredients, nutritional information]
* [http://home.howstuffworks.com/question393.htm How it works]
* [http://www.x-entertainment.com/messages/583.html/ Marshmallow Rice Krispies info and commercial]
* [http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/060424_MM_rice_krispies.html Why Rice Krispies go "Snap! Crackle! Pop!"]