National Oreo Day 2016: 15 Interesting Facts About Cookie-And-Cream Delight

One of the most delicious treats is dipping an Oreo cookie into a glass of milk. After all, they are milk’s favorite cookie. Turns out, the birthday of the Oreo, Sunday, March 6, is also National Oreo Day. To celebrate the iconic chocolate-and-cream cookie, some fun facts have been shared below, courtesy of Mental Floss and Cleverpedia:

1. No one knows why they’re called Oreos. The origin of the famous cookie's name remains a mystery.

2. It used to be a cereal. Not that long ago, it was acceptable to eat Oreos for breakfast. Unfortunately, the cereal was discontinued in 2007 after less than a decade on the market.

3. They’re a knock-off. Oreos might be famous now, but they aren’t the original. Nabisco got the idea from Hydrox, which made its debut in 1908, four years before Oreos were placed on store shelves.

4. They’re the best-selling cookie in the world. More than 450 billion Oreo cookies have been sold since they were created. They can be found in 100 countries.

5. There are seven flavors of Oreos: original, chocolate, chocolate golden, lemon golden, berry, peanut butter and mint.

6. Women are more likely to pull their Oreos apart than men. Half of Oreo-eaters pull the cookies apart.

7. In 1997, Oreos became kosher when the lard was removed. They are also vegan-friendly since the cream doesn’t contain any dairy products.

8. It takes 59 minutes to make an Oreo.

9. The Double Stuf Oreo is a lie. There is not double the amount of cream in a Double Stuf Oreo. The original Oreo has a cookie-to-cream ratio of 71 percent cookie, 29 percent cream.

10. They were created to appeal to British customers and were called “Oreo Biscuits.”

11. Every Oreo manufactured put together could wrap around the Earth 381 times. If they were stacked on top of each other, they could reach the moon and back over five times.

12. When the Oreo was made it 1912, there was also a lemon meringue flavor. It was discontinued in 1920.

13. Oreo cookies were first made in a New York bakery. They sold for 30 cents per pound in what is now Chelsea Market.

14. Pigs hate Oreo cookies. When Ben & Jerry’s donated their milky waste to hog farmers, they noticed the pigs loved every flavor except Mint with Oreo Cookies.

15. They’re as addictive as cocaine. The fats and sugars make them as addictive as psychoactive drugs, according to a 2013 study.

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