When I was younger I spent some time in the Nut House. I met all sorts of odd squirrels there, but the one I’ll never forget was a gray-haired old-timer named Norman. Not long after I was committed, he wandered over and offered me his paw. “I’m Norman - glad to meet you.” He seemed harmless enough, so I shook his paw and invited him to sit.

Then he asked, “You ever eat Woodland Crunch?” Of course I had. Everybody had. When we were kids we’d sing 🎵 The Nutty Taste Squirrels Love 🎵 Norman smiled. “Yeah. That’s what they want you to think.” He leaned a little closer. “I can tell you a thing or two about Woodland Crunch. I used to work nights at the factory - cleaning offices, emptying trash cans, mopping floors, that kind of thing.”

“One night, after some big meeting upstairs, I went in to clean up and there it was - the secret recipe for Woodland Crunch. Left behind with the coffee cups.” He shrugged. “Mother always said I was too curious for my own good. So I read it.” His smile disappeared. “Then I read it again. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Woodland Crunch might taste like nuts - but the truth is harder to swallow. There are no nuts in Woodland Crunch. None whatsoever.”

He raised one finger and stared straight at me.
🟤 Kinako Soy - roasted, peanut-butter-cereal kind of thing. Nutty as hell. But soy is NOT NUTS.

He raised a second finger as his voice grew stronger.
🟤 Sesame Candy - sweet, toasted, nutty - tastes like it oughta be full of ’em. But sesame is NOT NUTS EITHER.

Then he leaned across the table and raised a third finger.
🟤 Milkshake Dairy - that’s the creamy part. Gives it some body, keeps everything from getting dry. Milk is obviously not nuts. Well... unless there’s almond milk involved.

His voice dropped almost to a whisper. He leaned in very, very close and grabbed my sleeve. “I had to tell somebody. Hell, I had to tell everybody. Don’t you see what they’re doing? They make everybody believe there are nuts where there aren’t any. They made everybody believe there were nuts in Woodland Crunch.” His eyes were getting wider. “There aren’t.” Then he jabbed a finger into his own chest. “And then they made everybody believe I’m nuts!” Norman stared at me. “I’m not.”

For a moment he was completely still. Then his face twisted and he started to tremble. “AND IF THAT WASN’T ENOUGH... FOR SIX LONG YEARS THEY’VE BEEN TORMENTING ME BY SERVING WOODLAND CRUNCH FOR BREAKFAST!” “AAAAARRRRGH!”

Norman jumped up and ran screeching down the hallway. A moment later, the breakfast bell rang.

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"Three Flavor Tales" were built around a simple idea: you don’t need the entire flavor pantry to make something memorable. Each recipe uses just three main flavors, chosen less like ingredients and more like characters in a tiny play. The story comes first - because before you cast the characters, you need to know what kind of tale they’re here to tell.

💠 Search #TFT for more Three Flavor Tales.💠
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