Oreo
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Oreo is a trademark for a popular type of sandwich cookie manufactured by the Nabisco Corporation, introduced in 1912. The modern design of the Oreo cookie was developed in 1952 by William A. Turnier. It consists of two circular chocolate wafers, invented by John D. Unger [1], with a sweet white filling (commonly referred to as "cream") sandwiched between them. It is very similar to Sunshine's competing Hydrox cookie, introduced in 1908, which, having lost market share to Oreo for years, was withdrawn in 1996 [1] (and subsequently reintroduced under the Droxies name three years later).
Originally, Oreo cookies were mound-shaped. Some postulate that the source of the name "Oreo" comes from the Greek "ωραίο" - "oreo," meaning "beautiful" or "nice." The modern design of the Oreo cookie allows it to be eaten in several ways. Some people twist apart the wafers and eat the filling first; others eat the cookie without taking it apart. Some prefer to eat Oreo cookies after dunking them in milk.
According to a statement from Kim McMiller,[citation needed] an Associate Director of Consumer Relations, a two-stage process is used to make Oreo cookies. The base cake dough is formed into the familiar round cookies by a rotary mold at the entrance of a 300-foot-long oven. Key ingredients include sugar (later supplanted by chemically produced high fructose corn syrup), Dutch cocoa, and pure chocolate liquor purchased from outside suppliers in addition to flour which is milled at Nabisco's flour mill.[citation needed]
About.com states that there have been over 362 billion Oreo cookies sold since it was first introduced in 1912, making it the best selling cookie of the 20th century.
As an ingredient
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The Oreo cookie is commonly used as an ingredient or adornment for other foods. Milkshakes containing Oreo cookies are popular, and deep-fried Oreo cookies, which are batter-dipped Oreos fried like funnel cakes, are sometimes sold at carnivals and fairs. Also, the development of premium ice creams has produced "cookies and cream" flavors, a vanilla ice cream with chunks of chocolate sandwich cookies included. Cookies 'n' Cream may or may not contain actual Nabisco Oreo cookies, however, and may instead have non-Nabisco brand chocolate sandwich cookies that are functionally identical, such as Droxies and an endless stream of "generic" brands. Many cookies similar to Oreo cookies are commonly referred to as "Oreo" despite not having an actual connection to Nabisco.
- Cup o' dirt or Dirt pudding - This children's dessert is a cup of chocolate pudding and crumbled Oreo cookies on top, filled with gummy worms. May alternatively be called "worms 'n' dirt."[citation needed]
- Deep Fried Oreo- only in fairs. Oreos are coated with a sweet batter then deep fried and dusted with powdered sugar.
Variations and adaptations
- Jell-O Oreo Pudding - Jell-O brand chocolate pudding at the bottom and one top, with vanilla in the middle
- An Oreo variety with lemon-flavored filling was available in the 1920s. Some generic brand cookies still have such varieties.
- In Brazil, a very similar cookie to Oreo called "Negresco" is manufactured by Nestlé (picture, description).
In popular culture
- For many years, one of the most well-known traits of the DC Comics character J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, was his addiction to Oreo cookies. Later the addiction was changed to "Chocos" due to trademark or copyright laws.[citation needed]
- "Weird Al" Yankovic's song "The White Stuff" is about the cream "in the middle of an Oreo." It was a spoof of "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" by New Kids on the Block.
- Oreo cookies may have once been thrown at Michael Steele, an African American Republican politician from Maryland, by demonstrators, which was taken as a racist statement. See Oreo Cookie (slang) and Michael S. Steele#Oreo cookie incident
- In the 1976 remake of the film A Star Is Born the Caucasian singer played by Barbra Streisand is flanked by two African-American backing vocalists known as "The Oreos" (played by Venetta Fields and Clydie King).
- Oreo is the name of a popular band in Aruba.[citation needed]
- Popular Science magazine featured an article on Oreo-powered rockets.[volume & issue needed]
- The Futurama episode "The Birdbot of Ice-Catraz" opens with Fry making an Oreo-type cookie by putting two wafers and a cream filling in a press only to separate the halves to lick off the cream and throw away the wafers.
- In the Friends episode "The One with the Girl from Poughkeepsie," Joey Tribbiani breaks his personal best by stuffing 15 Oreos in his mouth.
- In the reality television series Survivor, Jenna Morasca and Heidi Strobel offer to take off all of their clothes if they are provided with chocolate and peanut butter. Probst complies with their request, and Jenna and Heidi exit the challenge nude and ate a plate of Oreo cookies and peanut butter.
- On a late episode[episode needed] of the television series 7th Heaven, the way that the characters ate their Oreo cookies was used as a plot. One character even presented a wedding ring by way of Oreo.
- In 1998 film The Parent Trap the two main characters bond over a mutual love of Oreo cookies and peanut butter.
- In the 1998 film Rounders the way in which an Oreo cookie is broken by John Malkovich's character is a poker tell that helps Matt Damon's character win against him at the climax.
Dietary compatibility
In 1998, Nabisco declared that Oreo cookies were kosher-dairy in kosher diets.
On May 13, 2003, attorney Stephen Joseph filed a lawsuit charging Nabisco with using hydrogenated (or partially hydrogenated) oils (trans fats) to make the cookies. The suit was dropped as Nabisco considered replacing the hydrogenated oils with alternative oils. Joseph admitted he filed the lawsuit to call attention to the matter, and he considered his motive successful. As of January 2006, classic Oreo cookies are no longer manufactured with hydrogenated oils. Older packages will still be on store shelves for some time, and other varieties may not have eliminated hydrogenated oils completely.
Depending on the area of manufacture, Oreo cookies may or may not be vegan.
Reference
- ^ Lukas, Paul. "Oreos to Hydrox: Resistance Is Futile." Business 2.0 March 1999