Although Oreos are thought to be the original crème-filled chocolate sandwich cookie, they are actually considered by many to be a copy of Hydrox cookies. Hydrox cookies were introduced in 1908 by Sunshine Biscuits, Inc. four years prior to the debut of the National Biscuit Company’s Oreo cookies. A main differentiating factor between the two cookies was the use of lard—since Oreo cookies used the pork fat in its product up until 1997 while Hydrox did not, Hydrox cookies were certified as kosher. Hydrox cookies were discontinued in 2002; however, Leaf Brands bought the rights to Hydrox cookies in 2014 with the intent of bringing them back on the market.
More about Hydrox cookies:
- Hydrox’s name comes from the combination of hydrogen and oxygen, the elements that form water, to indicate that the cookie was simple and pure like water. In 1997, the name was changed to Droxies and reformulated to be sweeter.
- Oreos outsold Hydrox cookies at a rate of around 25 times.
- Hydrox cookies were brought back onto the market for approximately one year in 2008 in order to commemorate the 100th anniversary of their creation as the first chocolate sandwich cookie.