Product - Nesquik: Down Memory Lane of Childhood Dreams

by BUTTERfly

Growing up, I was a difficult child when it comes to food. Not that I was stubborn and prefer to consume junk foods. It's just that most food makes me nauseous, which includes milk. As I was prone to have bloated tummy too, everything I eat or drink has to be warm. To grow strong and healthy bones during the development years, kids need to drink calcium rich products such as milk, so I has no way of avoiding it. My mother was persistent. I remember a time where she need to brings thermal flask for hot water to make warm milk for me wherever we go.

After years of coaxing me to drink milk, on one fine day when I was out on grocery shopping with her (I was probably 7 or 8 year old), I came across a 'bunny' and everything changes. Nesquik, a chocolate powdered flavouring mix got my young eyes attention because of the cute bunny on the packaging, and my mother never had any problem at making me drink milk ever since. In fact, I eventually learn to love the milk flavour all by itself. As the price of Nesquik increase and hard to source (you can't find it in normal supermarket, unlike Milo), I also eventually learn to grow to live without it (didn't want to burn a hole in my parent's pocket). This stuff is expensive, and I drink it as if I'm addicted to it. However, today, when I came across the cute 'bunny' again, I just have to savour it. Got it in a resealable bag of 110g at RM7.60 @ Big Ben, Publika, Solaris Dutamas.

Figure 1: Groquik

What is Nesquik?

As the name suggest, a product a Nestle, Nesquik is basically chocolate powder to be added into milk (hot or cold) to made chocolate flavoured milk. It's rich with chocolate flavour, sweet and smooth. Firstly introduced in 1948 for the European market (yes, this thing is even older than my parents), the product grows to include many other flavour too, such as banana, strawberry, vanilla, cherry, etc. Ideal for milkshakes.

The product also ventures into chocolate syrup (for ice creams) which eventually include all the other flavours, candy bars, breakfast cereal. The cutest one of all is the hot cocoa mix which contains bunny shaped marshmallow. Unfortunately, I can't find this in Malaysia so far.

Figure 2: Quicky

The Iconic Bunny

Debuted on the can of strawberry flavoured Nesquik, he is known as Quicky, the Nesquik Bunny in some countries. Certain countries has a dog call Groquik (I still can vividly remember some packaging are endorsed by this dog), a kangaroo and also a anthropomorphized box call Mr. Nesquik as the mascot of Nesquik initially. I believe the dog is named Groquik to indicates that by drinking Nesquik, you will grow fast. But it was one fat dog, and instead of grow fast, it kind of give the impression Nesquik will make people fat. Eventually, Quicky was the one and official mascot of Nesquik until today.

Nesquik can be found in Big Ben and Cold Storage.