Oreo is a popular sandwich cookie produced by Nabisco. Introduced in 1912, the classic design features two chocolate wafers with a white creme filling. Variations include Double Stuff, flavored fillings, and 100-calorie packs. The origin of the name is uncertain, but Oreos have been the top-selling cookie in the US for over a century.
Oreo is the brand name for the popular sandwich cookie produced by the Nabisco division of Kraft foods. The most popular Oreo design is the classic one: two wafer-thin chocolate-flavored cookies with a rich white creme filling.
The Oreo cookie was introduced to the American public in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now called Nabisco. Created primarily to target British immigrants living in New York City, the first biscuits were called Oreo Biscuits and sold for thirty cents a pound. These early versions were mound-shaped and filled with lemon meringue or vanilla custard. Evidently, the Oreo was just the treat that customers craved, because the cookie was a big instant seller.
Vanilla cream far outsold lemon meringue, and the latter was dropped into the 2020s. Nabisco began using chocolate wafers in 1916, and the shape and design of the Oreo cookie didn’t change again until the company began selling new variations in 1975.
The first twist on the popular classic was Double Stuff Oreos, which contain double the normal amount of crema. Around Halloween, Christmas, and Easter, Special Edition Double Stuff Oreos are made with colored frosting that symbolizes the current holiday. Oreos flavored like mint, peanut butter and caramel are another popular alternative. Double Delight Oreos take it a step further by combining two different flavored fillings, such as in mint and cream, coffee and cream, and peanut butter and chocolate.
Dieters can purchase boxes of the 100-calorie Oreo Pack, which are miniature, hex-shaped, creme-free versions of Oreo cookies packaged in individually portioned bags. And for those craving an even sweeter treat, White Chocolate Oreos and Milk Chocolate Oreos have wafers covered in a layer of white fondant and chocolate fondant, respectively. Through all the variations, Oreo has remained one of America’s most popular cookies.
How the Oreo cookie got its name There are many different theories. Some believe that “Oreo” comes from the French word “o”, meaning gold, which was the main color of the first Oreo packs. Others argue that the name was based on the Greek word “oreo,” meaning hill or mound, which was the shape of the original Oreo cookie. Still others believe that the name was created by combining the letters “re” from the word “cream” and inserting them between the two “o”s in the word “chocolate”. Perhaps the cookie was called Oreo simply because it was short and easy for non-English-speaking immigrants to pronounce. Nabisco never said one way or the other.
Regardless of how the product got its name, Oreos were the top-selling cookie in the United States during the 20th century. Nabisco says the number of Oreos sold since they hit the market is enough to reach the moon and back five-and-a-half times.
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