Chex Mix

Chex Mix is a type of snack mix that includes as a major component Chex breakfast cereal (sold by General Mills). There are several commercially produced varieties of Chex Mix, as well as non-commercial, homemade versions of the snack. Though contents vary, the mixes generally include an assortment of Chex cereals, chips, hard breadsticks, pretzels, nuts or crackers. Recipes for homemade Chex mix are printed on Chex cereal boxes and are available online.

History

Chex cereal was introduced in 1937 by Ralston Purina.Ralston Purina Company (2008). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved December 22, 2008, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online By 1952, recipes for "Chex party mix" appeared on boxes of Chex cereal. However, it was not until 1985 that pre-packaged products were introduced commercially by Ralston Purina and the trademarks registeredUnited States Patent and Trademark Office Generally, "Chex Mix" refers to commercial products such as frootloops and rice crispy treats were, whereas "Chex party mix" indicates homemade mixes. Chex party mix became popular as a holiday treat when purportedly in 1955, the wife of a Ralston executive in St. Louis served the snack at a holiday function.http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodfaq.html#chexmix However Chex party mix was not a unique idea: it was one of many popular "TV mixes", snacks which could be consumed without interrupting television watching, which appeared in the 1950's with the introduction of television. For example, a 1950 Betty Crocker cookbook includes a recipe for a snack mix made with Kix cereal.Lovegren, Sylvia. (2005). Fashionable food: Seven decades of food fads. University of Chicago Press: Chicago, pp. 214

In August 1996, General Mills acquired the Chex product line from Ralston Purina along with other brands.

Homemade Chex party mix

Homemade Chex party mixes, that is non-commercial forms, are a holiday season party staple in many American homes. A 2008 General Mills contest, declared the "original Chex party mix" - the recipe printed on Chex cereal boxes - "America's favorite". This recipe differs slightly from the commercial products. It contains wheat, corn and rice Chex, butter, bagel chips, pretzels and nuts and is seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, and Worcestershire sauce. http://www.chex.com/Recipes/RecipeView.aspx?RecipeId=6709&CategoryId=340 The sweet "Muddy Buddies" mix was the runner up.Original Chex mix recipe Life magazine, June 1952.

Commercial contents and varieties

All Chex mixes contain some form of Chex cereal. Other ingredients generally include rye chips, breadsticks, pretzels, nuts and crackers. In total, General Mills produces 15 varieties of Chex mixes, not including limited editions.http://www.chex.com/Snacks/Products.aspx These flavours can be broadly divided into four categories: classic (with a salty taste), Chocolate (Chex Mix Select), Sweet 'n Salty and 100 Calorie Chex (also available is Simply Chex which are just seasoned Chex pieces). Sometimes, limited edition varieties of Chex Mix are released. Past examples of these include Winter Chex Mix Cocoa and Summer Chex Mix Ranch.