Customer Reviews

Familia Swiss Muesli Cereal, Original Recipe, 32-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Growing up in Switzerland, I often had "Bircher Muesli" for breakfast. For those who don't know the history of "Muesli", the cereal was actually developed in the beginning of the 20th century by a Swiss doctor named Maximilian Bircher-Benner as a health food. See the wikipedia article on "Muesli" for more information.

The abbreviated form, "Muesli," is a phonetic transliteration of the Swiss-German diminutive form of the German word "Mus", which translates to "mash", "mush" or "puree."

Thus, it should be no surprise that in order to be authentic, in my opinion a "muesli" must become a soft mush when exposed to milk.

Familia's Original Swiss Muesli is right on the mark - if you let it sit in milk for a few minutes, it'll absorb the liquid, and assume the "muesli" texture - a mush with some nice crunchy bits (nuts) as a counterpoint (unlike most impostor products, including the other varieties sold by Familia, which stay crunchy).

The cereal is flavored and sweetened with honey and a variety of fruit (including, according to the ingredients list, raisins, apples and pears), giving it a flavor which transports me back to my childhood home.

Four stars for a great authentic-tasting and feeling product. One star deduction for the occasional bit of nut-shell that makes its way into the cereal.

This is actually the first branded product I remember. I first ate this 40 years ago at my grandmothers. It still tastes as good.

I'm so glad Amazon is offering products like this. My local health store stopped carrying it since it was getting kinda expensive.

This isn't like corn flakes -- here a little goes a long way. But then you also don't get hungry an hour after eating it.

And I don't have to force my kids to eat it!

For many years I have eaten only Familia Original Cereal for breakfast. Some years ago my father and I actually toured the plant in Switzerland and was very impressed. Recently I have not been able to purchase this in our local stores so decided to check out Amazon.com. Thankfully I found it and was able to order it, and have it come on a regular basis. We have already finished our first order and are looking for our next. We have shared a couple boxes with friends who also found the product very tasty. I feel this product has helped me tremendously in that my cholesterol has been very good. I was extremely pleased to find this product available through Amazon.

I have been eating this cereal since the 70's. I think some people don't understand that the powdery part of it is what makes it so good. You are supposed to soak this in milk until it becomes the consistency of oatmeal and then with the whole oats, nuts and fruit for crunch, MMMM!!!!

I eat a half cup of this cereal with skim milk every morning. It's not terribly low in calories, but it has the right kind of fats and it's a good source of whole grains. I love the taste, and it fills me up and keeps me happy until lunch. There is a lower fat/calorie version, but I think the extras in this cereal are worth it.
This cereal is also a great value. If you're eating around a half cup a day, a box lasts a long time.

This was a staple at our breakfast table about 40 years ago. I regularly buy from Amazon because I prefer the large 32-oz boxes to the smaller size. (And in case you're wondering, the red box has sugar added but the green box does not.)

Add milk and/or yogurt and let sit for about 10 minutes. Slice a banana or put berries on top and you've got a terrific start to the day. Also, the waiting part is the key in my mind. The nuts and grains come together and there's no grittiness.

A little goes a long way. Compare weight to a couple of slices of toast and you'll quickly see. And because there's more cereal and less air, my children have realized they don't need two bowls to make it through lunch time. (Neither do I!)

I had a subscription for regular deliveries, but the price went up by 33% (from $31.07 to $41.09 with subscription discount) in spring 2011. I'm told that commodity prices are rising everywhere, but I checked prices in two stores and they are unchanged. Amazon's previous prices ($5/box with subscription in Jan 2011) were cheaper than in stores, but now they are nearly $7/box compared to $8/box in stores, and having to buy in bulk quantities is not really worth it.

The sugar free version is currently cheaper, but I am sure they'll increase the price soon.

"Müesli" is the diminutive of the German word for "mush", and as some of the favorable reviews declare, mushiness is the goal for Müesli-eaters. Authentic Müesli becomes mushy almost instantly when milk is added, though modern commercial Mueslis usually contain desiccated fruit and nut chips that stay gritty in the mush. And a lot of sugar to melt the mush together! If you've spent time in Germany or Switzerland, you'll know that you're expected to add fresh fruit and berries to your Mush, and to soften it with yoghurt or quark in preference to plain milk.

The stuff is supposed to be wonderfully healthful, but if you compare the calories to various brands of granola, you'll find that both are higher than you thought, because of the sweeteners. Unsweetened oat bran flakes will get just as mushy almost as quickly, and you can be selective about your mix-ins.

The 'Familia' brand dominates the supermarket shelves in most parts of the USA. If you've tried it and you like it, Mazel Tov! But don't buy Müesli in bulk or in six-packs! It gets stale and extra-tasteless on the shelf, even when the box is unopened. Honestly though, wouldn't you rather have a crisp buttery croissant or a stack of Swedish pancakes with lingon to start your day?

Of course the object of this cereal is to be a mushlike consistency and it delivers. It is delicious as is. I usually make a 'batch' in the evening and let it sit overnight, we then have it for a few days as I find it is better as the milk absorbs. The first time I had muesli was buffet style in a hotel overseas. The setup was tremendous! All types of fruit platters were at our disposal as was a bowl of yogurt and nuts. We were encouraged to add to our delight so that is also how I often now eat it when time allows, adding a few spoonfuls of yogurt and with additions of extra raisins or craisins and cut up fruits. While this may not be the traditional method, it provides variety, after all, all of us living in this household still have our teeth and healthy consitiutions (knock on wood) and are not in the state that this cereal was first designed to help. I love that it is authentic and have been eating it for years as it is delicious and nutritious.

I grew up in the 70s eating this cereal. As an adult I have looked for it in stores to no avail. So, I was excited when I found this online through Amazon. A bit worried that it would not be as I remembered I was prepared for disappointment. How wrong was I?!?! It tasted EXACTLY as I remembered. Same texture. Same taste. Fabulous!!!!! The trick is letting it sit in the milk for about 5 minutes before enjoying. I gives it a great consistency. Yay!!! I'm so happy with it that I have subscribed to have it shipped through Amazon every two months.