Hidden Treasures (cereal)
Encyclopedia
Hidden Treasures was a short-lived breakfast cereal
by General Mills
. Introduced in 1993, alongside Sprinkle Spangles
. The cereal consisted of sweetened corn
squares that all looked the same, but were meant to be filled with a fruity filling; either cherry
, orange
or grape
. Additionally, some pieces didn't have any filling at all. The surprise of finding out what was in each piece was the cereal's gimmick, though clever children would have little difficulty noticing the pattern: pieces with a seam very close to the edge were grape, off-center orange, and directly center seams had cherry. Hidden Treasures became unavailable by 1995.
named H.T. – H.T. was said to have been programmed to try to figure out what was inside each of the cereal's pieces. He was dropped when the final commercial aired.
Breakfast cereal
A breakfast cereal is a food made from processed grains that is often, but not always, eaten with the first meal of the day. It is often eaten cold, usually mixed with milk , water, or yogurt, and sometimes fruit but sometimes eaten dry. Some cereals, such as oatmeal, may be served hot as porridge...
by General Mills
General Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
. Introduced in 1993, alongside Sprinkle Spangles
Sprinkle Spangles
Sprinkle Spangles was a short-lived breakfast cereal by General Mills. It was introduced in the early 90s, alongside Hidden Treasures. The cereal was of star-shaped pieces covered with multi-colored sprinkles...
. The cereal consisted of sweetened corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
squares that all looked the same, but were meant to be filled with a fruity filling; either cherry
Cherry
The cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy stone fruit. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium....
, orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
or grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
. Additionally, some pieces didn't have any filling at all. The surprise of finding out what was in each piece was the cereal's gimmick, though clever children would have little difficulty noticing the pattern: pieces with a seam very close to the edge were grape, off-center orange, and directly center seams had cherry. Hidden Treasures became unavailable by 1995.
Mascot
Since Hidden Treasures was so short-lived, only two commercials were made for it. A temporary mascot was made for the first commercial. The mascot was a robotRobot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
named H.T. – H.T. was said to have been programmed to try to figure out what was inside each of the cereal's pieces. He was dropped when the final commercial aired.