Sep 26, 2004 08:11 PM
10784 Views
(Updated Dec 03, 2004 05:39 PM)
Maggie is one of Nestlé’s most successful products. Maggie was successfully positioned as the ‘between-the-meals’ snack.
This ‘2 minutes’ one-dish mini-meal is a boon for lazy people, bachelors, working mothers and students.
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<b>My Reminiscences- </b>
<b>Maggie</b> was one of the first recipes that I learnt to cook.
When I was a small kid, Maggie was my favorite snack. Maggie was special because I could prepare it myself- without anybody’s help. At that age, the<I> ‘I can cook’</I> feeling was quite nice.
The ‘recipe’ is quite simple- Take water, boil it, put Maggie noodles and the Maggie Tastemaker Powder in it, stir, cook, simmer for 2-5 minutes. Hot delicious noodles are ready!
As my culinary skills became proficient, I started experimenting with the basic recipe of Maggie. You can put <b>chopped vegetables</b> in it. You can also use <b>cheese cubes or eggs. </b>I have also tried using <b>butter</b> with Maggie (but the result was not-so-tasty, so I do not recommend it.)
As I grew up, my consumption of Maggie reduced.
There were two reasons behind it-
1) I am a fitness freak and Maggie doesn’t have much nutritious value.
2) I learnt proper regular cooking (Daal, rice, roti). Now there were so many recipes to choose from!
Still, there are a few occasions where Maggie is <I>indispensable-</I>
1)When you do not have energy to cook a proper meal- Maggie is <b>Simplified Cooking at its best</b>
2)When you do not have time to cook a proper meal- Maggie takes just <b>2 minutes </b> (or maximum 5)
3)When you are <b>traveling- </b>in the trekking group I belong to, Maggie is one of the most important items, like torch and windcheater. I also take it when traveling to non-metro places- it is your lifesaver if you do not like the local food.
4)When you have <b>surprise guests-</b>especially kids and/or youngsters.
5)When you don’t know how to cook- Just <b>follow the instructions</b> given on the Maggie packet and you just can’t go wrong with this one!
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The biggest reason behind Maggie’s success is the fact that it is not just <I><b> ‘easy to cook’, </b></I> but also <I><b> ‘good to eat’. </b></I> The well-cooked soft noodles, perfect flavor and aroma make Maggie a preferred choice not just for kids, but also for adults.
Maggie’s <b>Pricing</b> is one of its key success drivers. The small pack costs just Rs.5. Larger pack costs Rs.10 and serves 2 persons.
The <b>best time to eat Maggie</b> is during monsoons and winters- especially if one is watching a good movie or reading a good book in rains/winters, a large bowl of piping hot Maggie noodles is the perfect snack.
For true Maggie fans, there is only one flavor- <b>Masala. </b> Other flavors like chicken, hot and sour, Chinese, capsicum may come and go, but Masala reigns supreme. Nestle tried to change the flavor a few years ago, but consumers rejected the new flavor, and Nestle had to bring back the good old Masala.
Other similar products like Top Ramen exist, but Maggie is the best product in this category.
Maggie can be made healthier by adding chopped vegetables to it, but I prefer the plain variety.
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<b>Cons</b>- it is <I>not</I> a nutritious product, and certainly not an option to our regular Indian meal of daal, rice, roti, and sabzi. It is a type of junk food or fast food, though it may be called a comparatively safer and cheaper variety of junk food.
Maggie Masala contains MSG (Mono Sodium Glutamate) and hence, excessive consumption isn’t recommended.
~But for that occasional one-dish quick meal, Maggie remains my favorite~
