In addition to Rivella, another popular drink in Switzerland is the "Ovomaltine," a chocolate malt drink that you can find in the refrigerated aisle as the "Ovo Drink." This chocolately beverage has an ephemeral malt aftertaste and light milky fragrance, and is one of Switzerland's top selling refreshments. Therefore, during my Swiss honeymoon, I made sure to load my travel pack with a few plastic bottles of this nutritious drink.
However, my whole experience with these milky malt drinks is clouded in ambiguity. Based on my Switzerland travel guidebook, I was informed that "Ovomaltine" and "Ovo Drinks" were the genuine Swiss food products, while "Ovaltine" (the product that we know in the U.S.) was considered by the Swiss to be merely a cheap imitation. However, Wikipedia informed me that Ovomaltine and Ovaltine are the same drink and made by the same company, but called "Ovomaltine" in Switzerland and "Ovaltine" in England. Irregardless of semantics, I rediscovered and came to love the Ovomaltine/Ovaltine drink during my time in Switzerland.
When I was a kid, I preferred to get my malt fix via chocolate-coated Whoppers, and my chocolate milk fix by mixing milk with the gooey chocolate syrup with the Nestle Quix Rabbit on the label. To me, an Ovaltine was just the drink in the Christmas Story movie, and along with Yoohoos, they were beverages of a bygone era that my parents loved but only purchased for me on very, very rare occasions. However, now that I have had the opportunity to rediscover the rich, chocolately and milky aroma of Ovaltine/Ovalmaltine as an adult, I now appreciate its timeless appeal.
If you are interested in more Swiss beverages, check out my previous experience with Rivella:
used to drink ovaltine when i was a kid!!!!was practically raised on it as means to disguise milk, which i hated
ReplyDeletethanks for visiting my blog.
neki desu
You are the opposite of me Neki Desu, I loved milk growing up!
ReplyDeletemy parents introduced me to ovaltine, when i was growing up in germany. and i remember the ads in germany too. these kids would clamour "more ovaltine please", so i use to clamour to my mom when i wanted ovaltine mixed into my milk :P
ReplyDeleteWow, the powers of advertising to children is quite impressive RLo--I used to copy commercials too!
ReplyDeleteOvaltine and Ovalmaltine taste exactly the same to me. I like them both. I also like Horricks, which is just malted milk, no chocolate flavouring to it. I love Hot Horricks even more than hot chocolate!
ReplyDeleteThen I have to look then for Horricks in my specialty grocery store Melinda, because if you say it tastes better than chocolate, that I know it tastes like heaven in a cup!
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how so many people remember their childhood when they see Ovalines/Ovomaltines Sophie, thanks for sharing your memories with me!
ReplyDeleteSay PE, I have a confession...it's Horlicks not Horricks.
ReplyDeleteHorricks is what my daughter called it from when she was little that I am so used to saying and calling it Horricks, I think my mind actually thinks it really is called Horricks. But it's not.
It is a milky, malted hot drink. It probably can't compete with the wonderfulness of the best hot chocolate in the world, but it is quite nice in my opinion.
I just thought I better set the record straight here. I can see you take your drinks seriously!
Thanks for clarifying any confusing Melinda, and I will make every effort to try any malted drinks by the name of Horlicks or Horricks, if there is one!
ReplyDelete