Cream of Wheat is prepared from the box by boiling water or milk, then pouring in the farina while stirring. As it is stirred, the farina starts to thicken. The use of milk instead of water gives the food a creamier taste. In the United States market, there are three unflavored mixes available. In the Canadian market, there are two unflavored mixes available. Cream of Wheat is also sold as an instant formulation which includes the use of single-serving packets. These are prepared by simply mixing their contents with hot water and allowing the result to set in a bowl for approximately two minutes. It is common to customize the hot cereal with the addition of sugar, fruit, or nuts. As a result, several flavors are sold of the instant variety: Original, Apples 'N' Cinnamon, Maple Brown Sugar, Strawberries 'N' Cream, and Cinnamon Swirl. In October 2012, Cream of Wheat added a new chocolate flavor to their instant line. Their most recent addition to the varieties of instant Cream of Wheat Cereals is Bananas & Cream.
The original boxes of Cream of Wheat were handmade and lettered, and they were emblazoned with the image of an African American chef produced by Emery Mapes. The character was named Rastus and was developed by artist Edward V. Brewer. Rastus was included on all boxes and advertisements. It has long been thought that a chef named Frank L. White was the model for the chef shown on the Cream of Wheat box—a claim White himself made. White's headstone contains his name and an etching taken from the man depicted on the Cream of Wheat box. Leading up to 2020, there had been public pressure aimed at various companies to change branding that had racist origins, such as Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben's. The character of Rastus had once been depicted as a cook who was barely literate and did not know about vitamins. Rastus is also a derogatory term traditionally associated with African Americans in the United States. For these reasons, B&G Foods had been under public pressure for years to make changes. Public demands to remove symbols of racism increased during the 2020 protests around racism. In response, on June 17, 2020, B&G Foods announced that they were “initiating an immediate review of the Cream of Wheat brand packaging.”
Marketing
Famous illustrators such as N.C. Wyeth, J.C. Leyendecker & Henry Hutt all created ads for the Cream of Wheat brand.
