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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Lifestyle
Lee Tran Lam

Vegemite is recognised globally – but how many people know Milo was invented in Australia?

A Milo stand at the Sydney royal easter show in 1934.
‘Tonic food’ AKA Milo at the Sydney Royal Easter Show in 1934. Photograph: Supplied by Milo/Nestle

When I order the jumbo-sized Milo Godzilla at Ho Jiak in Sydney’s Haymarket, it arrives as advertised – it’s comically large. The Malaysian restaurant prepares the drink by swirling Milo powder with hot water, adding sweet drizzles of condensed milk then chilling the mix with ice. Scoops of ice-cream are added and extra choc-malt powder is showered on top. Served in a one-litre jug, it’s so big I can’t finish it solo: staff hand me three takeaway cups to transport the leftovers.

Like many beloved Milo drinks, the Godzilla is native to south-east Asia. Without ice-cream, it’s essentially a Milo Dinosaur: an iced Milo heavily sprinkled with more of the choc-malt grains and served everywhere from Malaysian market stalls to Indian-Muslim restaurants in Singapore.

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