Ovaltine

Yesterday I bought "European Formula" Ovaltine from Shaw's, the local grocery store chain. I think there was a huge markup; the price tag read $6.29. But I'd already looked for it at Shalimar, the Indian Grocery Store in Central Square here in Cambridge, and it was out of stock or they don't carry it. Even today, twenty-two years after my first Ovaltine memories, I sometimes still need incentive to drink my milk.

My mom's parents used to live in Nairobi, Kenya. We visited them when I was six years-old, and even though this trip included such exhilarating experiences as visiting the crowded public market in central Nairobi and traveling to Mombasa for a safari where I saw lions, zebras, rhinoceroses, giraffes, and other wild animals up close, my fondest memory was attempting to drink my milk every morning.

The old formula for Ovaltine was meant for hot milk, but I put it right on top of my cold milk. It didn't mix in very much and the malted chocolate powder would form small bubble-like morsels on the top of my milk. I would save these morsels for last as a reward for finishing the glass of milk, but since the Ovaltine only lightly flavored the milk I still needed additional encouragement to get to the end.

My grandfather, whom I called Daddy, was my cheerleader. Or my competitor? Coach? He made it into a game. He always had a cup of chai (tea) and he'd challenge me to see who could finish first. I knew he was just playing with me, that I could kick up a fuss and then game over. But I liked the game, between the feigned race (I would gulp, and he would sip), and I liked the chocolaty finish line.

I think I tried the American formula Ovaltine once or twice and I can't remember for sure if there was a taste or texture difference, but somehow I have the perception that the imported formula is more like what I had in Nairobi. I think that the American formula was designed to dissolve easily in cold milk, but several years ago even the formula for the imported version changed to favor cold milk. I have always mourned this formula change. Nevertheless, I buy a bottle of the imported version every once in a while and the taste always takes me back to Nani and Daddy's dining table in Nairobi. Even though it dissolves easily now I always try not to stir it too much so I still get some extra chocolate at the end. Mmmmm...

(Written on Thursday morning, August 28, 2008 between 9-10am in Cambridge, Massachusetts, shortly after enjoying a glass of Ovaltine. I think I'm going to go for seconds now.)