Quipu

Ricicles

Sounds great, tastes good. But it’s pretty much a light-weight. It’s not really up to the stresses and demands of a modern Balanced Breakfast. Good afternoon snack, though.

Image, as (almost) always, from the
collection of the Sucrophile Institute

Appearance

Yawn. Can you say Rice Krispies? Thought you could. If Sucrophile were more of a Zen master (or even a Zen apprentice), this product would appeal mightily. Each piece of cereal is a single grain of rice. Said rice is then subjected to a sudden blast of dry heat, which causes it to pop into a light, crunchy morsel. Then a shitload of sugar is dumped on it. The simplicity of it could be very appealing, if breakfast cereal were part of the Cha No Yu, the famous Zen Tea Ceremony. But it’s not, eh?

Texture and Taste, Dry

Not really worth trying. Like Dino Pebbles before it, each piece of this cereal is too small to be picked up. So there’s no point in snacking out of the box. Some points are gained for the delicate mouthfeel and the way the sugar manages to emphasize its presence without overwhelming everything and causing your pancreas to explode. But this is not a dry-snack cereal, not in your wildest dreams.

Texture and Taste, With Milk

Lots of plus points for managing to overcome the biggest problem facing all rice-crisp cereals: getting the sugar to adhere. With this product the sugar’s baked on, and the result nicely combines the light, crisp snap of a rice cereal with the blood-bouncing rush of a kiddyrot cereal. This stuff is, quite frankly, not up to a full slate of Saturday morning cartoons. Its crispness and mouth feel are a lot like a politician’s promises the day after the election: the substance vanishes pretty quickly. Be careful not to use too much milk, because this product absorbs very little before it sogs out entirely.

Conclusion

Ricicles (great name, by the way) is a little like a rose wine: it’s very pleasant in a limited way, but there aren’t that many circumstances in which it’s the correct choice. It’s certainly not the product you want for a Saturday morning of cartoon-watching. It would, however, be ideal for a quick, small bowl in the late afternoon before supper. Just don’t let Mom find out. [December 1992]