Tuesday, April 9, 2013

From the Cereal Aisle: Buc Wheats

Product: Buc Wheats Cereal
Company: General Mills
Years: 1971-1983

1983 Buc Wheats w Wildlife Print
Picture by Bolio88

I am not generally a fan of flakes when it comes to my breakfast cereals. Honey Toasted, Frosted, Corn, Bran.....flakes of any kind really. Maybe it's the awkwardness of the flake shape, and the sharp roof of the mouth piercing edges that they often produce. Maybe it's the negative connotation that the work "Flake" has:

FLAKE

n. An unreliable person; someone who agrees to do something, but never follows through.
1. John forgot to show up for work again this month. He's such a flake. 

I'm petty sure my parents knew my opposition to flake based cereals growing up, which is why I don't recall a box of Buc Wheats cereal ever entering our house. I'm sure it was delicious...I mean.....look at the nice.......brown box..........with that bowl of brown flakes........and the exciting "Wildlife Print" offer on the back of the box.......who needs fun prizes like baking soda submarines, or Garfield bike reflectors.......I'll be the only kid on my block with a Les Kouba deer print...........exciting. *crickets*

Buc Wheats were pretty popular for a while, mostly because of the Maple glaze that was gently brushed over each flake with butterfly wings (I can't prove that). But then for some reason in the early 80s, they changed the formula. Instead of a maple glaze, they changed to a honey glaze. And I'm sure you can imagine the anarchy that erupted when people realized what General Mills had done. General Mills headquarters was stormed by angry townspeople and burned to the ground. The cereal aisles ran red with the blood of GM executives.
That's what I imagine anyway. Hey, I was like 6 at the time, I can't remember a lot. It's much cooler then imagining people just not buying the cereal anymore...even if that's more or less what happened. 

BUC WHEATS ad-79
Image by CheshireCat666


Buc Wheats had a good 10 year run as the "Sticky Wheaties of the 70's", but the change in the sweetener proved to be too much for most people, and poof, it was gone.

Maybe you have fond memories of this cereal. Maybe you wish it would make it's triumphant return to Cereal Aisles across America.......hell, across the globe.

I don't. But then again, I'm pretty much a flake.



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34 comments:

  1. DarApril 15, 2013 at 2:16 AM

    Hmmm, I wonder how buckwheat taste different than regular wheat.

    Oh and how can you put down flake cereals. That's like 75% of cereals right there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousFebruary 12, 2015 at 10:50 AM

      The worst part about flakes is that unless you practically inhale a bowl instead of eating it slow enough to be able to actually taste it, they get too soggy in the milk...

      Delete
    2. UnknownMarch 16, 2020 at 8:51 PM

      It was the best tasting cereal I have ever had the day they discontinued it i was crushedAND I STILL MISS IT! Bring Buc Wheat back!

      Delete
    3. UnknownMay 31, 2020 at 12:03 AM

      I agree. I think about it now and again. Wish I had the original maple Buc-Wheats right now.

      Delete
    4. UnknownJuly 21, 2020 at 9:13 PM

      Unlike most flakes Buck Wheats held up in milk. I could eat a bowl with out getting the bowl of slime.

      Delete
  2. UnknownMarch 8, 2014 at 8:29 AM

    Wow, what memories that that box brings back! I ate Buck Wheats every morning for 7-8 years, then poof gone! Thanks for the post.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownMarch 29, 2014 at 7:28 PM

    please bring back buc wheat i buy 10 boxes a week love love love them

    ReplyDelete
  4. lmd08May 26, 2014 at 2:45 PM

    Totally agree.....Buckwheats were the BOMB! I tried making my own by adding maple syrup to a number of other flake cereals but just could never achieve the same flavor or consistency. I wish they would bring back the original recipe before the honey switcharoo. Hope someone from General Mills is watching the net for these comments.

    ReplyDelete
  5. lmd08May 26, 2014 at 3:09 PM

    Just an FYI for those of you that like the Post Selects Maple Pecan Crunch, they are on Post 's hit list for being discontinued so you may want to stock up before they are sold out.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Gurky2Hart6566May 28, 2014 at 7:12 AM

    I loved Buc Wheats as a child. I really do miss them...the original version of course. I don't care for maple in any cereal but for some reason, I loved Buc Wheats. I could eat them right out of the box. I also wish they would bring them back. They'd always be on my shelf.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMay 31, 2020 at 12:06 AM

      Same. Not a maple fan, but they were great dry, too. Hey General Mills, are you listening. Lol

      Delete
  7. AnonymousJanuary 5, 2015 at 11:02 PM

    I did like the original version, with the maple flavor... maybe if they had stayed with the maple flavor, it would still be on the shelves...

    ReplyDelete
  8. HatterasmanMarch 7, 2016 at 3:26 PM

    It was my favorite breakfast cereal for over a decade. It was indeed the maple flavor coating that made them so good, plus, they did not get soggy like corn flakes, most likely because of the coating.

    ReplyDelete
  9. UnknownSeptember 30, 2016 at 2:18 PM

    If you are ready for the grownup version, you can buy Maple Buckwheat flakes from Arrowhead cereals. They are really good and, I'm sure have far less sugar than the original - only 5g/serving. I ate Buc Wheats every day for years. This is a pretty decent substitute....and they're organic.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. dottiewingoFebruary 28, 2018 at 9:36 AM

      Thank you! I have missed them since I was a kid!

      Delete
    2. John PaladinMarch 26, 2023 at 10:27 PM

      Just ordered a box from Walmart... A bit on the expensive side, but will be worth it...

      Delete
  10. UnknownJune 2, 2017 at 4:07 AM

    Buc wheats were the best flakes ever! My favorite cereal of all time! I didn't need milk I could eat it right from the box! Please bring back the buc!!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. lynette daltonAugust 7, 2017 at 12:01 AM

    We have 2 of the prints. Matted and framed and we get more compliments on that print. They are surprised on finding out where we got it. It was awesome cereal until they changed it.

    ReplyDelete
  12. lynette daltonAugust 7, 2017 at 1:24 AM

    Oh and they never got soggy

    ReplyDelete
  13. UnknownOctober 14, 2017 at 5:05 PM

    Will they ever be on a grocery store shelf.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Dude, you have to put these two pictures on a T-shirt and wear it when you're out with your son.February 1, 2018 at 10:49 PM

    Man, I remember these from the 70's! My parents ate them, but I liked them too, straight out of the box! So crunchy and good!

    ReplyDelete
  15. UnknownMay 6, 2018 at 4:45 PM

    Fiber One Honey Clusters is the closest I have been able to get to Buc Wheat Cereal. I recently tried it and was so surprised and delighted by this cereal!

    ReplyDelete
  16. limesparksSeptember 16, 2018 at 1:41 PM

    Here it is, an almost a perfect reincarnation of BucWheats (just pick out the almonds and clusters which aren’t that much or bad tasting anyway): http://m.presidentschoice.ca/en_CA/products/productlisting/pc_crunchy_maple_almond_cereal19202.html

    Only problem: you have to go to Canada to get it...!

    ReplyDelete
  17. UnknownMay 11, 2019 at 6:37 PM

    They were the best. Stayed crunchy and sweet maple flavor. My favorite cereal of my childhood. Born in 72. Andrew

    ReplyDelete
  18. UnknownJuly 9, 2019 at 3:22 AM

    Thought for sure we were going to get a million lil rascals and Eddie Murphy lame jokes with this review

    ReplyDelete
  19. SparkinaAugust 25, 2019 at 5:31 AM

    Maple Buc Wheats were plenty of tasty 😋

    ReplyDelete
  20. Michael GagneJanuary 23, 2020 at 6:15 PM

    I wish that General Mills would bring back the good old Buck Wheats cereal to the markets!

    ReplyDelete
  21. kmendiolaFebruary 13, 2020 at 5:29 PM

    one of my child hood favorites for sure. you don't find many maple flavored cereals anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  22. The Custom Boxes PrintJuly 24, 2020 at 1:13 PM

    I really loved reading your blog. It was very well authored and easy to understand. Your blog put really very helpful information. Thank you for sharing superb information…
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    ReplyDelete
  23. nexusAugust 21, 2020 at 7:51 PM

    They were delicious, and yeah, I think if you took Wheaties, spread them on a big flat cookie pan, drizzled them good with GOOD maple syrup, then low temp (200, tops) baked them, you might get a good close copy of Buc-Wheats.

    ReplyDelete
  24. UnknownSeptember 10, 2020 at 6:19 PM

    I want my buc wheat back. Get us all hooked then discontinue them???? It's not fair. Bring them back.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Mycroft DucaineMay 9, 2021 at 4:12 AM

    My mom used to buy these, and I actually liked them... I thought they were the bomb... Too bad they had to change from maple to honey, I bet if they still made them with the maple flavor, they'd still be making them today...

    ReplyDelete
  26. LALMay 25, 2021 at 10:03 AM

    We never had the sugar favorites most people had in their homes. I grew up on soggy Wheaties, every day without fail. Only when there was a coupon would my mother buy Buc Wheats. To this day I don't think she knew they were sweetened. She just thought they were another brand of Wheaties. I absolutely loved Buc Wheats and would kill for a bowl today.

    ReplyDelete
  27. diehard247January 3, 2022 at 8:43 AM

    A bowl of Buc Wheats and a glass of Nestle Quick was breakfast for a few years. Buc Wheats were great.

    ReplyDelete

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