As a certified Oreo (and Hydrox) fan, I never spent a minute contemplating the intricate patterns of these iconic chocolate wafer sandwich cookies. No, I have been consumed with carefully clicking their sweet white centers in an eating ritual unchanged since childhood.

One twists the wafers apart, then slowly licks the cream center. After that, the wafers are eaten. But I never much thought about the aesthetics of these wafers, the thing that makes an Oreo or a Hydrox instantly recognizable in a crowd of cookies. But thanks to Edible Geography, the design, history and the anonymity of the design have been carefully documented in their recent post: “The Unsung Heroes of Biscuit Embossing” and also in “Who Made that Oreo Emboss” in the New York Times blog “Sixth Floor.”

It’s nice to know that I’m not just an Oreo freak, I am a connoisseur of American design and function. Edible function!

Related articles

• The Genius Design Strategy Behind The Oreo Cookie Emboss (businessinsider.com)
• Prepare your sweeth tooth for the Triple Double Oreo (dailypit.wordpress.com)
• The Beauty of the Emboss…: (brothersjuddblog.com)
• Oreo Fudge Cremes (lisacooking.com)