I bought and tried the Blue Band Instant Porridge: Goodness!

By Elvis Ondieki

The evening of Friday, March 26, 2021, found me looking for the new Blue Band Instant Porridge pack at a supermarket in Nairobi CBD. I was in for a rollercoaster.

Porridge flour section: A glance here and there, then, bam! I saw it. There it was, in its yellow glory and an unmistakable stare – a little bit of the good old Blue Band vibe but definitely seeking to stand out on its own.

And I was like: “Mhhmm. I’ve seen you quite a lot on online adverts and I’ve read what people are saying about you. Now it’s my chance to see your true colours.”

By the time I laid it on my shopping basket, I had glanced through the preparation instructions: Boil water, pour some of it in a cup, add the instant porridge powder, stir to make a smooth paste, then add more hot water and a sweetener, and stir well. You are then good to go.

I was like: “I’m the worst cook south of the Sahara, north of the Limpopo, East of the Nile and across Nairobi River, but I think I can hack this one. This one I can hack.”

I was also enthusiastic about the extensive nutritional benefits the product would deliver, going by the details on the pack.

At home, my four-year-old son was definitely aware of this new stuff daddy had brought. “Can I have my ‘Number One Dad’ badge already?” I asked. All he could do was smile. Seemed like a “Yes” to me.

Preparation time: What was the procedure again? I am quite good at boiling water and so in no time, I had it ready in a flask. “Moment of truth, mortal man.”

I must say it was a breeze. I put a little water in my cup, added two spoons of the Blue Band Instant Porridge flour and stirred eagerly to dissolve it. I then added sugar. More stirring followed.

They say it’s ready in two minutes, but I think it took even a shorter time for me to have my cup of porridge ready. I don’t know why I remembered my pastor and his message about my cup running over with goodness, as I looked at my porridge cup.

I was like, “Voila! That was easy. Worst cook has finally cooked something.” Where are those people who say I can’t cook anything? The Blue Band Instant Porridge blended with the water just perfectly. Anyone without the back story can swear it is that sufuria-made uji.

After the labour, it was time to enjoy the goodness. And it was great. Like the good old grandma’s porridge, this one landed on the palate just nicely.

My son had a taste and I could tell there was going to be a repeat purchase.

“New era, young man. From today henceforth, any time you want porridge, daddy will be preparing the Blue Band one. Just two minutes and you have porridge packed with 10 vitamins and five minerals. Yes, 10 vitamins and five minerals.”

With my experience, I came out with many observations. Chief among them is that this porridge is a great helper to those who want a quick and nutritional breakfast but have no much time in the morning. With this, you only need water in a flask, which you can boil the night before. Then in the morning, you will only be pouring, stirring and enjoying porridge before you leave the house.

This will help many who want a hot drink but are quite lazy to go the long haul of preparing porridge that takes more than 10 minutes, and which is almost an exact science because you need to understand the physics of stirring, boiling, adding sugar and all. You also need to master the temperament of boiling porridge lest it boils over into the fire. Blue Band Instant Porridge eliminates all that hassle.

This will be helpful to parents who want to prepare a quick energy boost for their kids, especially because they are on holiday now. Yay!  More even to university students, bachelors and spinsters. To everyone, literally.

Above all, this will be a transformational product for children. All the minerals and vitamins that it packs are a precious value-add.

A tabulation on the pack details the various nutrients it has been fortified with. They range from Vitamin A to Vitamin B12. It also has iodine, iron, zinc, copper and selenium. Imagine the nutrient deficiencies it will address. Zinc has been a highly sought-after nutrient for building immunity against the Corona virus, so I was elated to find it here.

Okay, I’ve previously been accused of talking too much when my stomach is full. 

The product is available at all leading supermarkets.