Mrs. Jumbo, I’d Like to Talk to You About Your Son’s Checkup

It would probably be good for us (and our teeth, and our weight) if we didn’t like sweet flavors so much, but this liking appears to be a particularly human characteristic, right from birth--human milk is the second sweetest in the mammalian kingdom. (The sweetest: elephant milk.)

Another Reason Taverns Were So Dark

Why are beer steins made of pottery and other opaque materials? It’s a tradition from the days when nobody could quite predict what color a beer was going to be--or what might be floating in it. Until the first Pilsner was brewed in 1842, you really wouldn’t have wanted a glass beer mug.

Brand on the Run

The Wall Street Journal reports that Quaker Oats is test-marketing microwaveable single-serving cups of oatmeal called OatCups that can be eaten on the run (or maybe on the jog) and don’t even need milk. They’re targeted at professional-class working women--Quaker has been hanging OatCups samples on doorknobs in upscale neighborhoods.

Anything for Le Food

Say hello to these restaurant products: Shrimp Tasties, low-cholesterol imitation shrimp chunks for sprinkling on pizzas and pasta; a line of wholesome herbs and spices with the curious name Heart-Loc; a versatile salad bar tong that can pick up meats, breads and other large foods, as well as greens, which is called, of course, Le Tong.

Foreign Marketing Update

The long-awaited canned coffee jointly produced by Coca-Cola and Nestle is now being sold--in South Korea. Meanwhile, among the American companies planning to open Moscow operations is the New York-based supermarket chain Red Apple.

Hey, Congratulations! I’ve Got Wednesday Free

The Aztecs believed that if there was food left over after a banquet, it was good luck. Specifically, it meant that you’d be able to give more banquets.

What’s That Crunching Sound?

This year, claims Famous Amos, Americans will eat 14 pounds of cookies per person, and one in four will contain chocolate chips.