Pourquoi les corn flakes ont été inventées ?
Les corn flakes ont une histoire complexe et multifacette behind their invention. Here are the key reasons and circumstances:
Health and Dietary Reform
Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, a physician and nutritionist, aimed to create a healthier breakfast option for his patients at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Michigan. At the time, American breakfasts were often heavy and indigestible, consisting of foods like meat, potatoes, pastries, and fried foods. Kellogg sought to introduce a more digestible and healthier alternative24.
Accidental Discovery
The invention of corn flakes was accidental. Initially, Kellogg was trying to make granola, but a batch of wheat-based cereal dough was left unattended, causing it to ferment. When rolled out and baked, it formed crispy, crunchy flakes. This accidental discovery led to further experimentation, eventually resulting in the use of corn instead of wheat, which produced a crisper and more appealing flake135.
Anti-Indulgence and Moral Beliefs
Dr. Kellogg had strong beliefs about the importance of a plain and healthy diet in promoting moral purity and reducing sexual desires, including masturbation. He believed that a diet free from stimulants like sugar, alcohol, and caffeine would help in achieving this goal. However, his brother William Keith Kellogg later modified the recipe by adding sugar, which deviated from John Harvey Kellogg's original intentions34.
Business and Innovation
William Keith Kellogg played a significant role in turning corn flakes into a commercial success. He continued to tweak the recipe, introduced sugar to make the cereal more palatable, and founded the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company, which later became the Kellogg Company. This marked the beginning of corn flakes as a popular breakfast cereal135.
In summary, corn flakes were invented as part of a broader effort to reform breakfast diets, accidentally discovered through the fermentation of cereal dough, and later commercialized with significant input from both Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his brother William Keith Kellogg.