Around 1999 or so, I wrote an article about Hydrox cookies and how, even though they tasted better than Oreos, everyone thought they were cheap knockoffs.
I was happy to get e-mails from other concerned cookie-eaters who agreed with me and wanted to share experiences with other Hydrox "people", and I learned more.
The whole story was an upsetting one: a little bakery called Sunshine created the original sandwich cookie in 1908 and called it Hydrox. Four years later, baking giant Nabisco started making a similar sandwich cookie that they called Oreo, and they used their marketing power to convince everyone that it was the original.
By the time my generation came around, America had bought into the fact that Oreo was the original sandwich cookie and Hydrox was a knock-off and wasn't worth trying.
A lot of us still stood by our Hydrox because they were so much better tasting, but we weren't convincing enough. Sometime around 2002 or 2003 our cookies were reformulated and then just vanished completely.
Sunshine became Keebler and Keebler became Kelloggs and I turned my article into this silly website, where hundreds of internet nerds could validate my obsession, read up on the history, and see nice pictures. Then out of nowhere in 2008, Kelloggs decided to bring the cookies back for a limited time! We have something to celebrate!
January 2010
I'm having a tough time finding Hydrox Cookies again, and hearing from lots of folks that our "limited time" is up. Sorry everyone, it looks like we'll have to wait another 100 years for Hydrox. It was fun while it lasted, thanks Kelloggs!
15 November 2008
Seriously people, Kelloggs has assured us again and again that they're using the EXACT same recipe they always have been (minus some transfat) and everyone I've talked to agrees that the cookies are just as crispy and delicious as always. I'm already halfway through the 30 packages I got, you'd think I would have detected a conspiracy by now if there was one. Stop commenting about how you think they've changed and have another cookie.
25 August 2008
Awesome Kelloggs flew me and three other Hydrox fans to New York to party, eat cookies, and even ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange! It was so incredible and there was lots of great press about it. Check out these links:
- New York Times article by Stuart Elliott
- Carol Vinzant was at the party for WalletPop
- Wichita Eagle got some video of me before the trip