Oreos: Milk’s favorite cookie and ours

Oreos are probably the food that most consistent in our lives from the time we could eat solid food to college. “Milk’s favorite cookie” will always be our favorite snack!

People are not exactly sure where the name Oreo came from, but one theory is that it was named from the Greek word “Oreo,” which means beautiful, nice or well done. (I can definitely understand why that term applies to these perfect cookies.) Nonetheless Nabisco (or the National Biscuit Company) first trademarked the name Oreo and sold the first cookie in March 1912. At the time it was called the “Oreo Biscuit” until 1921 when it was called the “Oreo Sandwich.” Today it is called the “Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookie,” which did not appear in ads until 1974. Back in their early days Nabisco sold a pound of Oreos for only 25 cents. I’m sure we all wish they were still that price so we could buy enough Oreos as could possibly fit on the adjacent seat on the Blue Jay Shuttle!

Thankfully Oreos have gotten a few nutritional upgrades over the years. The original Oreos were produced with crème containing lard. Health concerns in the early ‘90s challenged Nabisco, so they replaced the lard with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil in the filling. Escalating concerns then prompted them again in January 2006 to fully replace the trans fat in the cookies and use non-hydrogenated vegetable oil in the famous crème.

Oreos were a favorite for everybody at any young age and still are our favorite pick-me-up at CharMar. There are tons of varieties to choose from at any given moment. One option that many of us won’t remember is the Big Stuf Oreo. These cookies were sold individually and were multiple times the size of a regular Oreo. They were discontinued in 1991. The most popular options today include Double Stuf Oreos, Mini Oreos, Chocolate Oreos and Birthday Cake Oreos (which were originally limited edition but came back due to popular demand).

A personal favorite of mine are the Spring, Halloween and Christmas annual special editions, which feature colored crème and designs depending on the occasion. The yellow Spring cookies are cheery, while the orange Halloween editions get me ready for autumn. The red and green Christmas Oreos exude the Christmas spirit.

Since 2012 Nabisco has come out with many odd flavors of Oreos including Neapolitan, Caramel Apple, Pumpkin Spice and Root Beer Float Oreos. The latest edition is the Cinnamon Bun Oreo, which was just released last month. This cookie features two cinnamon flavored wafers with cinnamon crème. Trying all of these new flavors is part of the fun though we always tend to return to the original!

The worst possible decision that one could make is to buy Oreo Thins. They were released in 2015 as thinner versions of the original cookie. They are 66 percent thinner so there are 33 percent less in each package, but they cost the same price as the original. Basically you’re spending the same amount of money but are getting much less joy out of Oreo Thins. If you are craving Oreos, just go for the real thing. It is borderline offensive and not worth the pain to put this unappetizing cookie in your mouth when there are probably Double Stuf Oreos on the shelf right next to it.

There are tons of ways to eat an Oreo (or 10 Oreos)! Everybody has their favorite way to eat their favorite cookie. Mine is to soak the Oreo in a cup of milk until it is soft. Some people twist the layers apart. Some just eat the filling. Many dip the cookie into something else such as peanut butter or chocolate milk. There is no wrong or right way to eat an Oreo.

Now that the grievances about Oreos are out in the air we can enjoy our favorites. Oreos will always be a part of our lives regardless of where we live, our age or what crazy flavors they come out with next! A great thing to do is buy a new flavor, gather a bunch of friends and try out the new Oreo. Don’t forget the glass of milk! Remember it’s “milk’s favorite cookie” for a reason!