14. The imitation cookie which became number one
In 1912, executives of the National Biscuit Company had a problem. Rival Sunshine Biscuit dominated the market with a chocolate sandwich cookie, two wafers filled with crème, which they called Hydrox. Bakers and chemists got to work, and in March they introduced a new cookie which was clearly an imitation of Hydrox. National Biscuit (which later became Nabisco) called their new cookie the Oreo Biscuit. The source of the name Oreo is uncertain, and many theories abound, including it was derived from Latin, from French, or from an abbreviation for appetite stimulants. Orexigenics stimulate the appetite and could be a cause for reaching for one Oreo after the other, a fairly common practice. Though Hydrox supporters claim their cookie was both creamier in its filling and crunchier in its cookies, Oreo gradually took over.
As of 2021, Oreo branded cookies are the number one cookie, in terms of sales, in the world. They can be found on store shelves in over 100 countries. They are produced by several different companies; Nabisco in the United States, Cadbury in the United Kingdom, and others around the world. Born as an imitation, Oreo has led to its own imitators, including Newman-Os, the Finnish Domino, and brand names operated by various grocery chains. For those interested, the basic Oreo cookie contains about 45 calories, more or less. For variations, the calorie count varies, but there is no such thing as diet Oreos. Oreo Thins, smaller versions of the original, are made from the same recipe. Hydrox, the original chocolate sandwich cookie, have been in and out of production, and as of this writing can be found in limited locations in the United States.