# Cap'n Crunch Cereal...a kind of dumb question...... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 21, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826 "2017-07-21T19:42:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![golffan1963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4af34b/32.png) [@golffan1963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/golffan1963)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/1 "2017-07-21T19:42:30Z")
…are the pieces in Cap’n Crunch cereal supposed to be in the shape of something? The closest cereals to CC I’ve ever seen are King Vitaman and Quisp (which is still made, but you have to look for it). Both tasted almost identical to CC. King Vitaman’s pieces were crowns, and Quisp’s were small round saucers. But what about Cap’n Crunch? They are squares with two horizontal indentations running through them. What’s the deal? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/2 "2017-07-21T19:54:55Z")
They vaguely resemble barrels. Or gold bars? That’s all I got. Ate probably close to a literal ton of the stuff as a kid, but I never really thought about it before. It’s entirely possible it’s not necessarily meant to resemble anything. . ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/3 "2017-07-21T20:02:12Z")
I always assumed barrels. But it’s been a score or more hrs ago when I emancipated them from my diet so I might be remembering wrong. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/4 "2017-07-21T20:08:04Z")
They really don’t look like [anything in particular](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cap%27n_Crunch#/media/File:Cap%27n_Crunch_regular_flavor.JPG). ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/5 "2017-07-21T20:11:34Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > They really don’t look like [anything in particular](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cap%27n_Crunch#/media/File:Cap%27n_Crunch_regular_flavor.JPG). Boy, that sure brings back memories of Saturday morning cartoons, don’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/6 "2017-07-21T20:25:32Z")
I always thought they were epaulets. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/7 "2017-07-21T20:29:49Z")
> [@golffan1963](#): > > But what about Cap’n Crunch? [This may shed some insight](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/81/The_Wonder_Years_-_Get_Stoked_on_It%21.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/8 "2017-07-21T20:30:19Z")
Peanut Butter Cap’n is uhm…cannon balls? 😉 I like the idea of epaulets. They really do look like them. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/9 "2017-07-21T21:46:45Z")
I thought they were tiny treasure chests, explaining why the Pirate Jean LaFeet was always after them. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/10 "2017-07-21T22:41:52Z")
I left a message at the Pepsico web site and pointed them to this thread. Stay tuned! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/11 "2017-07-21T22:57:39Z")
I cannot answer this, which is sad, since I know a fair amount about Quaker Oats products (it was in the family, so to speak). I do know how King Vitamin got made; at a young age I watched the extruded pieces leap back up into the extruder (courtesy a strobe lamp set at an appropriate frequency!). I have not seen any indication that anyone knows why Cap’n Crunch is designed like little pillows of cereal. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/12 "2017-07-21T23:03:28Z")
It may have something to do with the method of flavor infusion. CC is the first cereal to use flavored oil as a coating. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/13 "2017-07-21T23:16:14Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > I thought they were tiny treasure chests, explaining why the Pirate Jean LaFeet was always after them. I think that makes a lot of sense, since [treasure](http://www.mrbreakfast.com/cereal_ucp_slideshow.asp?id=53&picid=2205) [chests](http://www.mrbreakfast.com/ucp/53_2579_ucp.jpg)were used in promotions or on the box. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/14 "2017-07-21T23:44:17Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I think that makes a lot of sense, since [treasure](http://www.mrbreakfast.com/cereal_ucp_slideshow.asp?id=53&picid=2205) [chests](http://www.mrbreakfast.com/ucp/53_2579_ucp.jpg)were used in promotions or on the box. That’s what I always thought they were, although now that I’m thinking about it, I can see where that might not be all that clear, and now I want Captain Crunch! ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/15 "2017-07-21T23:52:53Z")
I thought they were water wings, or some similar life preserver (like what Marty McFly wore!). ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/16 "2017-07-22T00:45:15Z")
If you were blind, you would think they looked like little razor-sharp balls of mouth-ripping glass. Ah, Cap’n Cruch! Pain never tasted so sweet! ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/17 "2017-07-22T00:54:36Z")
Yeah, they DID do a number on your palate right behind your upper teeth. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/18 "2017-07-22T00:55:02Z")
n/m-ninja’d ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/19 "2017-07-22T00:56:05Z")
Didn’t they actually get _harder_ in milk? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826/20 "2017-07-22T14:01:41Z")
> [@golffan1963](#): > > The closest cereals to CC I’ve ever seen are King Vitaman and Quisp (which is still made, but you have to look for it). They still make Quisp but not Quake? Bummer. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capn-crunch-cereal-a-kind-of-dumb-question/791826.md?page=2)