Oh! Oh! Oreo!

The two disks of chocolate filled with vanilla creme first appeared on shelves on this date in 1912.  The "Oreo" was baked at the National Biscuit Company's Chelsea Factory on Ninth Ave in New York City.  The cookie first appeared with the imprint of a wreath and the word "Oreo" in the centre.  The biscuits came in novelty cans with glass tops and sold for 25 cents a pound.  

Some believe that the name came from the Greek word which means beautiful.  Others believe that oreo is short for "or" which is French for gold, the colour of the original package.  Still others think that the name was derived from the two "o's" of chocolate combined with the "re" of cream.

                                           

Photo courtesy commonswikipedia.org. 

Regardless of the name's origin, the Oreo was an instant success.  The biscuit started selling like hotcakes.  By 1920, NaBisCo introduced a lemon filling variety.  The following year, the cookie was renamed the "Oreo Sandwich".  Other varieties would include:  Double Stuf in 1975, Fudge in 1987, Halloween in 1991 and Christmas in 1995.

Oreos did not appear in Canada until 1949, but they were an instant hit.  Today, Oreos are sold in 100 countries around the world.  Over 362 billion have been sold, making Oreos the bestselling cookie ever. Fifty percent of Oreo eaters admit to dunking them in milk.  Others simply eat them whole.

While the NaBisCo Chelsea Factory in New York City is no longer in operation, the street on which it sat has been renamed "Oreo Way".  And another generation of children is dunking their cookies in milk.  Oh! Oh! Oreo!

Photo courtesy blogs.babble.com.

For some delicious Oreo cookie recipes, visit http://brands.nabisco.com/oreo/index.html