It seems there is no end to condensed milk in this lifetime
So, raise your hands for those who didn’t pay attention yesterday when C8 said condensed milk was out? It seems that’s the case for just about everyone, as C8’s inbox is again filled with stories of condensed milk. Why is the appeal of sticky so strong? Whatever the answer, C8 will have to continue; The people have spoken.
Jennifer Coleman from Indooroopilly in Qld asks: “Where are the memories of the condensed milk sandwich? Soft white bread, butter and condensed milk cut from a warm loaf from the corner shop.”
Pamela Kerr from Moonta Bay (SA) recalls: “On the last day I sit at the top of St Mary’s Peak and walk the Wilpena Pound, eating the last of our rations: sweets and condensed milk. Then the first year I lived in China, I found tinned condensed milk in the supermarket and it satisfied my homesickness, spoon by spoon, for a year.”
Another use comes from Blaxland’s Marjie Williamson: “My husband, who has type 2 diabetes, carries a tube of condensed milk with him for a quick pick-me-up when he’s feeling ‘low’ when he’s out and about.”
C8’s ophthalmologist-in-waiting, Sue Bradley from Eltham (Vic), notes: “You’ve forgotten Tongala, the best brand of condensed milk. It was so common that, as a new friend in the 1970s, I actually thought ‘Tongala’ was Australian for condensed milk.”
John Adamson, of nearby Caringbah South, wonders: “I can’t understand why no one has ever brought up the sheer delicious flavor of a teaspoon of cocoa powder in an egg cup, so to speak. a good plug condensed milk stirred. A family favorite in the 1950s.”
Going back to the post-World War II years, Davistown’s Adrian Bell says: “Coffee was virtually non-existent in Australia – although rarely drank compared to tea – along with Bonox, Milo and Ovaltine. Nestle’s coffee-flavored condensed milk was widely used. Just add water. Gibson’s Green Label Coffee and Chicory were also available for non-tea drinkers.”
The question on C8’s mind is posed by Eastwood’s Llieda Wild, who says: “Enjoying memories of condensed milk this week makes me wonder if any Col8ers have developed diabetes in their later years. I can also blame it on the little patisserie near our school in West Ryde, which makes the most delicious creamy eclairs, scones and vanilla slices.”
Column8@smh.com.au
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