Thanks to this channel, I have fortunately been exposed to a few different Milo recipes. I’ve added Milo to oatmeal, stirred it into a hot beverage, and now – sprinkled it on toast. For number 43 in my ever-growing series on toast around the world, we’re whipping up Milo and Butter Toast.

For those of you who haven’t yet had the pleasure, Milo is a chocolate-flavored powder that’s a bit like Ovaltine or Nesquick. It’s often mixed with a liquid like milk or water to create a chocolatey beverage that you can drink either hot or cold. But that’s not the only way that people have decided to enjoy Milo. Jade’s contribution of Milo Butter and Toast is a perfect example.

Jade lives in New Caledonia, which is a French island in the Pacific Ocean off of the coast of Australia. As a kid, Jade would spread half salted butter on a piece of soft bread and then sprinkle Milo right on top. According to Jade though, you have some room to customize this dish with any variety of bread, toasted or untoasted bread, and whichever butter you prefer.

Jade is probably not the only kid in this part of the world who grew up enjoying Milo. The powdered product was invented in 1934 by an Australian chemist named Thomas Mayne. At the time, Mayne was working for Nestlé who launched the product as a nutritious option for children. The aim of Milo was to create a balanced drink that would give kids plenty of vitamins, iron, and other nutrients. To help market it as such, it was named after Milo of Croton, who was a famous athlete known for extreme strength. It wasn’t long until Australia and other neighboring countries like New Zealand and New Caledonia embraced Milo.

Now today, I’m not so sure I would categorize Milo as a health food, but that won’t stop me from enjoying it and it certainly shouldn’t stop you. Mix into milk and enjoy sprinkled onto some buttered toast for an afternoon pick me up, a sweet dessert, or a comforting late night snack.