Oh Oh Oreos

photo by Tohru

by Chewy

     By now, all of you have certainly heard that the Oreo cookie has reached the century mark. That has to be like 700 in food years. Go ahead, try and name a dozen brand name products that are equally aged. And while they have toyed with new flavors such as Green Tea ( introduced in China and Japan), Strawberry Milkshake (Canada, limited U.S.), Blueberry Ice Cream (Indonesia, Malaysia), Cool Mint, Peanut Butter, Banana Split, Berry Burst Ice Cream, sugar free, reduced fat, and the antithesis of chocolate, vanilla Oreos, there is no doubt that the original chocolate with vanilla cream filling still reigns in our hearts and pantries.

     Actually, the Sunshine company gets credit for the sandwich cookie with their Hydrox cookie debuting in 1908, a full 4 years before the Oreo. But Hydrox eventually “crumbled” under the pressure from Oreo and was commercially withdrawn in 1999. Some speculate the name may have something to do with that. Oreo tends to flow out of the mouth, while Hydrox sounds like a cleaning product. Yum. Others will tell you that  taste always leads to ultimate success, although my taste was never discerning enough to tell the difference between the two. True aficionados are presently screaming at me for my ignorance  

     The Oreo’s name has gone through a few updates itself. Originally the Oreo Biscuit,  in 1921 it was renamed the Oreo Sandwich, in 1948 the Oreo Crème Sandwich and finally in 1974, the Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookie. The etymology of the name has various theories. My favorite stems from the Greek root for appetizing  as in orexin or orexigenic (appetite stimulating).Other derivations include a French word for gold ‘Or’, meaning gold (early packaging was gold), Greek ‘Oros’ meaning mountain or hill (original was mound shaped), and Greek ‘Oreo’, meaning beautiful or nice.  Or could it simply be a visual of two cookies, the ‘O’s, with the ‘re’ from cream sandwiched in-between? My view on this is pick your favorite and pass it on.

     Perhaps the most  interesting aspect of the Oreo is the embossed design on the cookie. This too, has gone through some changes over the years (one version had two pairs of turtledoves) and today’s version was finalized in 1952. That means for most of us, it’s the only “look” we know. Shrouded in mystery, Nabisco will neither confirm nor deny that William Turnier (credited by internet sources) created the contemporary design. To further deepen the conundrum, is the intricate design itself. The circle topped with a two-bar cross in which the word “OREO” resides, is a variant of the  Nabisco logo and , according to the Atlantic, is either “ an early European symbol for quality” or a Cross of Lorraine, as carried by the Knights Templar into the Crusades. The Oreo’s dot with four triangles radiating outward either resembles a four-leaf-clover or the cross pattee, also associated with the Knights Templar, as well as with the German military and today’s Freemasons. Brings to mind that this may be another “National Treasure” in more ways than one!

     Controversy also dominates in the proper way to eat the Oreo. Bite, dunk or disassemble and consume in stages, your way is always the best way! Crumbled  in baked goods, yogurt, pudding, ice cream and pies, it perfectly adorns. It is no wonder this sweet little cookie has endured.