Milo

Ingredients

Hot Milo

• 3heaped tsp Milo powder, about 20 g
• 250 mlfull-cream milk
• 1 tspsugar, only if you want it (the powder is already sweetened)

Iced Milo

• 4heaped tsp Milo powder
• 50 mlhot water to make a paste
• 300 mlvery cold full-cream milk
• ice cubes

The three-layer method

• 3 tspMilo dissolved into the milk
• 1extra tsp Milo scattered dry over the surface at the end

What is in the powder

• malt extract from barley, milk powder, sugar and cocoa, plus added vitamins and minerals

Directions

1. Put the Milo powder in the mug first, before any liquid, so you can control the paste stage and avoid the lumps that form when powder hits a full mug of hot milk.
2. Add 2 tbsp of the milk, or hot water for the iced version, and work it into a smooth glossy paste with the back of a teaspoon, pressing out every lump against the side of the mug.
3. Heat the rest of the milk to about 70°C (160°F), hot enough to steam but not to boil; boiled milk gives a cooked, skinned flavour that spoils the malt.
4. Pour the hot milk into the paste in a thin stream while stirring continuously, so the mixture stays emulsified rather than separating into sludge at the bottom.
5. For the classic Australian three-layer effect, stop stirring once it is combined and scatter an extra teaspoon of dry Milo across the surface without disturbing it.
6. Leave it 30 seconds. The dry powder will sit on top as a crunchy crust, a layer of dissolved Milo will hover beneath it, and the drink sits below, which is the texture Australians actually want and the reason for the whole ritual.
7. For iced Milo, whisk the hot-water paste into the cold milk in three additions, then pour over a full glass of ice; making the paste with hot water first is essential, since Milo will not dissolve in cold milk.
8. Drink hot Milo before the crust sinks, spooning the top layer as you go. Eaten dry by the spoon straight from the tin is, officially, the other accepted serving method.

Technique

• Milo was developed in Sydney in 1934 by Thomas Mayne, a Nestle chemist, as a fortified malt drink for children during the Depression, and it is named after the Greek athlete Milo of Croton.
• The formula genuinely differs by country. The Australian version is made in Smithtown, New South Wales, and Australians travelling abroad routinely complain that the local Milo tastes wrong; the Malaysian and Singaporean versions are typically maltier and dissolve more readily.
• The paste-first technique is the difference between a good Milo and a lumpy one, and it matters more with the Australian powder, which is deliberately coarse so it can float.
• Nutritionally it is closer to a chocolate malt drink than a health food, which is why the amount of powder per mug is worth thinking about.

Substitutions

• No Milo: Ovaltine and Horlicks are the nearest malted drinks, though both are less cocoa-forward and dissolve differently.
• Made with oat or soy milk it works fine, though it is thinner and the crust sinks faster.
• A homemade approximation is 2 parts malt extract powder, 1 part cocoa, 1 part milk powder and 1 part sugar.

Variations

• Milo dinosaur, a Singaporean and Malaysian favourite, is iced Milo with a heaped spoon of undissolved powder piled on top.
• Milo on ice cream, spooned over vanilla, is a standard Australian childhood dessert.
• Milo cake, biscuits and slice all use the powder as a malt-chocolate flavouring in baking.

History

Developed in 1934 by Thomas Mayne for Nestle in Sydney and launched at the Royal Easter Show to fight Depression-era childhood malnutrition.

Frequently asked questions

What is Milo?

Milo is a drink from Australia: malted chocolate powder stirred into hot or cold milk, often eaten dry by the spoon. Developed in 1934 by Thomas Mayne for Nestle in Sydney and launched at the Royal Easter Show to fight Depression-era childhood malnutrition.

How long does Milo take to make?

Milo takes 3 min of preparation and 2 min of cooking. The recipe makes 1 mug, or 1 litre of iced Milo. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Milo?

Yes, within limits. No Milo: Ovaltine and Horlicks are the nearest malted drinks, though both are less cocoa-forward and dissolve differently. Made with oat or soy milk it works fine, though it is thinner and the crust sinks faster. A homemade approximation is 2 parts malt extract powder, 1 part cocoa, 1 part milk powder and 1 part sugar.

What is the most important thing to get right in Milo?

Pour the hot milk into the paste in a thin stream while stirring continuously, so the mixture stays emulsified rather than separating into sludge at the bottom.