Eating Malt Extract

[beeboo]

Did anyone else eat spoonfuls of Malt Extract when they were a kid?

My mum used to give it to us like medicine.

Sticky and delicious

There used to be a particular brand which I can't remember the name of. I've tried buying other malt extract but it isn't the same - I don't even think they still make the good stuff.

Anyone??

 

[oryx]

Yes, I remember it! I think it was called Virol. It was all lovely & sticky & tasted like Maltesers.

I have no idea what it was supposed to do for you.

For me, it belongs to the same era as olive oil being used for earache, & Carnation milk, another taste I remember. (This was the mid-sixties, BTW - I feel like I'm going on about just after WW2 or something! )

 

[gentlegreen]

Yes, I remember it! I think it was called Virol. It was all lovely & sticky & tasted like Maltesers.

I have no idea what it was supposed to do for you.

For me, it belongs to the same era as olive oil being used for earache, & Carnation milk, another taste I remember. (This was the mid-sixties, BTW - I feel like I'm going on about just after WW2 or something! )

Of course you could only get it at the chemist's

.

 

[sojourner]

Was it dark brown and in a jar, and had the consistency of syrup? If so, yeh...think we had the version with cod liver oil in it, and I fucking loved the stuff. We were allowed a spoonful after tea, but I used to nick some whenever I could

 

[oryx]

Was it dark brown and in a jar, and had the consistency of syrup?

Sounds like the one. I think it came in a brown glass jar.

When I was about 11, we got all sophisticated & graduated to Haliborange tablets.

 

[moose]

Ah, the era when the health visitor used to leave ultra-sugary orange cordial for babies and toddlers, which had to be diluted with water and more sugar added just in case.

 

[beeboo]

Yes, I remember it! I think it was called Virol. It was all lovely & sticky & tasted like Maltesers.

I have no idea what it was supposed to do for you.

For me, it belongs to the same era as olive oil being used for earache, & Carnation milk, another taste I remember. (This was the mid-sixties, BTW - I feel like I'm going on about just after WW2 or something! )

Virol - yes yes!

Jeez, I'm talking about the early 80's, I think my mum was a bit behind-the-times with parenting practice!

 

[sojourner]

Sounds like the one. I think it came in a brown glass jar.

When I was about 11, we got all sophisticated & graduated to Haliborange tablets.

We had haliborange in the winter and the extract all year round

I actually bought meself some last year, found it in a health food shop. It sickened my daughter, but I couldn't stop wolfing it

 

[oryx]

I think my mum was a bit behind-the-times with parenting practice!

I think mine was too! Just Googled it & it was introduced during/after WW2 to make sure kids got their nutrients despite rationing.

http://timewitnesses.org/english/food/Rations.html

http://timewitnesses.org/english/~tommy.html

I STILL haven't found out what it's supposed to do for you.

(There's a similar discussion on the Daily Mail forums (disclaimer: I found it via Google NOT 'cos I read the Hate Mail ). Should we be worried?)

 

[beeboo]

I think mine was too! Just Googled it & it was introduced during/after WW2 to make sure kids got their nutrients despite rationing.

http://timewitnesses.org/english/food/Rations.html

http://timewitnesses.org/english/~tommy.html

I STILL haven't found out what it's supposed to do for you.

(There's a similar discussion on the Daily Mail forums (disclaimer: I found it via Google NOT 'cos I read the Hate Mail ). Should we be worried?)

I just googled as well and noticed this too! Yes I'm' worried!

Isn't it B vitamins or something?

My mum did raise me on Findus Crispy Pancakes etc though so I probably got fewer nutrients than a kid on rationing !

 

[oryx]

My mum did raise me on Findus Crispy Pancakes etc though so I probably got fewer nutrients than a kid on rationing !

Your folks seem to bear an amazing culinary resemblance to mine. We had lots of Vesta ready meals & burgers supplemented with Virol, Haliborange and that astoundingly sweet orange juice Moose mentioned! (My mum was actually a good cook but they were very busy people.... ).

 

[5T3R30TYP3]

I really miss those health supplements my mum used to give me, especially malt extract but not so much cod liver oil bleurgghh 'orrible stuff.

 

[gentlegreen]

I remember haliborange ... did anyone else get rosehip syrup ?

.

 

[Guineveretoo]

My daughter used to love malt extract and used to hassle people to give it to her. I remember her coming home with a little jar of it which she had persuaded one of my friends to give her.

When we were children we were given a tonic called minadex which was totally gorgeous.

 

[oryx]

My daughter used to love malt extract and used to hassle people to give it to her. I remember her coming home with a little jar of it which she had persuaded one of my friends to give her.

It's Maltesers in gel form, I tell you!

@ gentlegreen - yes, we got rosehip syrup too. It's a good job Holland & Barrett didn't exit in the mid-60s. I dunno though - I think (having had us quite late in life) my parents had the WW2 'vitamins for all' mentality rather than the alternative therapy one!

 

[psycherelic]

I used to love malt extract, and this was in the late 80's/early 90's we used to have it on oats and milk for breakfast, I used to love that stuff

 

[beeboo]

I think we need to start a 'bring back Virol' campaign.

mmmm....yummy!

I used to love the way it stuck to the spoon.