Ah, MILO® — there’s nothing more iconic than the chocolate malt drink in green packaging. Or dispensed out of a green truck, an ubiquitous sight at any school sports event in Singapore!
Since its invention in 1934 by Nestlé Australia food scientist Thomas Mayne¹, MILO® has grown into a well-loved beverage around the world. Singaporeans would usually drink it warm or with ice and a dash of condensed milk, but people around the world have other ideas!
Get to know the 5 different ways people drink MILO® across the world.
1. Australia
Its origins have never been clearer, especially after you know that it was invented by a Nestlé Australia food scientist: MILO® is undoubtedly an Australian product.
The top vs. bottom debate
Australians tend to drink their MILO® cold. Usually, cold milk is poured into a glass before it’s topped with a generous heap of MILO® powder. However, there’s also a great divide among Australians on how to drink MILO® properly.
You can either:
1) Pour the cold milk in first, followed by MILO®
2) Pour in the MILO® first, followed by cold milk
3) Pour in the cold milk first, followed by MILO® and then more milk²
Give each method a try! To start, a high-quality milk is essential:
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, try the Australian Tim Tam Slam! Simply bite off a small corner on opposite ends of the biscuit. The opening should be just large enough to expose the wafters and filling within.
Use it as a straw to slurp up a cup of hot MILO® and pop the entire warm, melty treat into your mouth at one go!
Alternatively, you could just have your MILO® with a popular breakfast food such as toasted muesli or some bars if you need to get out of the door quickly. The Aussies love their breakfast!
The Australian vs. Singaporean recipe
This debate happened when an Australian mother felt that her newly purchased MILO® tasted different. Nestlé confirmed this: the 1.25kg tins sold in Aldi, an Australian supermarket chain, were made in Singapore while they updated their Australian machinery back then³.
Different strokes for different folks. From Australia to Singapore, the phrase has never been more true as people have different taste preferences! What matters is that the formulas in both tins are still processed in clean and properly licensed facilities, and passes the proper checks before reaching the shelves at your nearest FairPrice store.
The Australian recipe has a more chocolate and “malty” taste. Try it with powder and hot water without any milk. The Singapore recipe has the same taste but it is less sweet, making it perfect for those who don’t have a sweet tooth! Up the ante with a teaspoon each of condensed milk and sugar if you prefer.
On the other hand, MILO® in Singapore evolved very quickly to adapt to local tastes. Whether you prefer it with less sugar (siu dai) or none at all (gao kosong), there’s a drink for you!
Halal-certified
Trans-fat free
Healthier choice by the Health Promotion Board
Oi, oi oi! From 7 to 20 April 2022, you can enjoy deals of up to 71% OFF MILO®, other popular breakfast food and drinks, as well as more quality products from Down Under here.
2. Malaysia
If you love coffee as much as MILO®, you’ll fall head over heels for “Neslo Ais”. This combines the best of two drinks that Malaysians love — MILO® and Nescafe coffee⁴!
“Neslo Ais” has just the right amount of kick to get you going for a full day ahead. It’s also great to tide you through the mid-day slump while working from home. 1PM to 3PM will be your most productive time instead!
It’s quick and easy to do:
Neslo Ais⁵
Prep time: 5 mins
Skill Level: Easy
What you’ll need:
– 2 tbsp MILO® Powder
– 1 tbsp Nescafe Classic Instant Coffee (or any instant coffee powder will work)
– 3 tbsp Condensed Milk
– ½ cup Hot Water
What you’ll need to do:
1. Mix the MILO® and coffee powder with hot water. Stir until any lumps dissolve.
2. Add condensed milk and adjust to taste.
3. Serve with ice.
Tip: Get more froth on the head of your drink with the “tarik” action! Do this by making two cups of “Neslo Ais” and pouring the drink from one cup to another. The further apart your cups are, the frothier the “Neslo Ais” will be!
Get more coffee-making essentials any time, any day here!
3. The Philippines
With nearly US$2.6 billion in sales and a claimed market penetration of over 90%, The Philippines is the second-biggest market for MILO® after Malaysia⁶. Filipinos love their MILO® so much that not only do they drink it, but they also use it to jazz up a traditional dessert known as pastillas⁷!
Fun fact: The word pastillas literally means “pills”. To be more specific, it’s actually called “pastillas de leche” in full, which translates to milk pills.
Prepare this sweet treat with no cooking required:
MILO® Pastillas⁸
Prep Time: 30 mins
Skill Level: Easy
What you’ll need:
– 1½ cup MILO® Powder
– ½ cup MILO® Powder (mixed in water) + 2 tbsp MILO® Powder
– ¾ cup Condensed Milk
– 4-5 tbsp White Sugar (for coating)
1. Add the 1½ cup of MILO® powder, ½ cup MILO® powder (mixed in water), and condensed milk in a bowl.
2. Use a spatula to combine the ingredients until it gradually forms a “dough”.
3. Pour the sugar and 2 tbsp MILO® powder on a plate.
4. Get a small portion of the “dough” and roll with your hands to form a cylindrical pastillas.
5. Roll each pastilla in the sugar mixture on the plate. Repeat this process until all are done, and set aside.
6. Chill until the pastillas have set completely.
4. Chile
The Chileans like to spice up their MILO® by adding aromatic whole spices such as cinnamon and cloves. It’s regarded as such a special drink that you may even be served a cup of it at birthday parties!
What you’ll need to do is simply add the whole spices into a cup. Then, the ratio is usually one cup of milk to two heaped tablespoonfuls of MILO®. Pour in boiling water and stir well for a minute or so before you remove the whole spices⁹ to drink!
Alternatively, you can skip the hassle of adding milk with a 3-in-1 MILO® formula. This 3-in-1 formula contains skimmed milk (cow’s milk) powder already so it’s perfect for those cold, rainy nights when you want to whip up this Chilean MILO® beverage in a pinch.
Milo
3 in 1 Instant Chocolate Malt Drink – Regular
Halal-certified
Healthier choice by the Health Promotion Board
5. Colombia
Similar to school-going children in Peru, Colombians also have fond memories of being served MILO® for breakfast by their parents. There have been some changes to the traditional recipe shared here but like the Aussies, their MILO® is served to drink cold or at room temperature.¹¹.
In Colombia, the MILO® powder and milk is added to a blender instead. Add a teaspoon or two of sugar, then blend it all up and serve. Yes, it’s that easy!
Fun fact: MILO® is pronounced as “mee-low”, the Spanish way, in Colombia!
We hope that this article has given you greater insight into the different ways that people from Australia, Malaysia and more countries have their MILO® and drink, or eat it. There’s no right or wrong way to enjoy MILO® — it’s whatever makes you happy!
Reminder: From 7 to 20 April 2022, you can enjoy deals of up to 71% OFF quality Australian products here.
***
References:
¹ Nestlé 2022, Meet the Milo supermen who inspired our super brand, viewed 14 March 2022
² Perrie, S 2019, Social media debate sparks about how to make Milo, LADbible Group, viewed 14 March 2022
³ Low, JY 2022, Australians think made-in-S’pore Milo is ‘terrible’ & not ‘real Milo’, Mothership, viewed 14 March 2022
⁴ foodpanda 2022, Recipe Neslo, viewed 14 March 2022
⁵ theAsianparent community 2022, Neslo Ais, viewed 14 March 2022
⁶ Whitehead, RJ 2016, Nestlé announces new $43m Philippines plant to produce Milo ingredient, FOOD navigator-asia.com, William Reed Ltd, viewed 15 March 2022
⁷ Pinoy Food Guide 2022, Milo pastillas recipe, viewed 15 March 2022
⁸ Lutong Bahay Recipe 2022, Milo Pastillas, viewed 15 March 2022
⁹ ¹⁰ ¹¹ BuzzfeedOz 2020, How people drink Milo around the world, watched 16 March 2022
Feature image credit: MILO® Australia & New Zealand
