How the Best Snacks Began: A Timeline

Snacking contributes a big role in society than we may even realize.

Snacks tend to be more than just a little bite that we take in between meals. Our nature to snack has not changed that much over the past years, although the choices of snacks that are available have definitely changed.

In an attempt to understand some of the snacks that were popular over the past years, we have highlighted some of these snacks in this article.

 



1900’s

 

 

Oreos

best snacks oreo sandwich

 

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1912: Oreo cookies were first introduced in the year 1912 so they could compete with their rival Hydrox which was developed in the year 1910. They were the biggest development of snack food during that decade. 


Oreo has experienced some innovations, especially in recent years, including the limited edition new flavors. The best thing about Oreos is that there are many kinds. Nevertheless, the greatest innovation of Oreo is the Double Stuf.

Seriously, they would have opted to stop there and still be among the popular snacks due to the fact that regular Oreos are well-known snacks all over the world. 


You can even try combining Oreos with some milk and we can assure you that it will be one of the best combinations that you have ever tasted. Dipping Oreos in milk is certainly the best way that you can consume your Oreos. 


It is very difficult to compare and evaluate the Double stuff and regular Oreos since they are both amazing. However, regular Oreos were the starters of this snack and since they have a heavier ratio of cookie than the Double stuff, they yield better outcomes when they are dipped in the milk. 


On the contrary, since filling tends to be best Oreo’s part, double stuff offers both and convenient access to the filling. One limitation of the regular Oreos is that they are vulnerable to breakage once you attempt to twist or scrape it.

Making a decision on both is however very complicated since they are both delicious.

There are other brands which have been developed using Oreo recipes such as the Swedish Fish Oreo. How do you eat your Oreos?



 

1920’s

 

 

 

Cheez-It

 

best snacks cheez it

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1921: This cheese cracker is manufactured by Sunshine Biscuits which is a division of Kellogg Company.

The dimensions of these crackers are 24 by 26 mm and are made up of vegetable oil, salt, spices, cheddar cheese, and wheat flour. They were first introduced in the year 1921 by Green and Green Company which is a snack crackers manufacturer that is based in Ohio. The Green and Green Company was later acquired by the Sunshine Biscuits company in 1932. 


Sunshine Biscuits Company became Keebler Company’s subsidiary in 1996. In 2001, Keebler Company was in turn acquired by the Kellogg Company. Despite being manufactured under different company names over all those years, the Cheez-it crackers have remained up to this day.

They have also continued to produce many varieties of this snack such as the Extra Toast, Mozzarella, Cheddar Jack, Whole Grain, and many others.

 

 

Haribo Gummies

 

best snacks haribo

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1922: There are many varieties of this gummy candy that is manufactured by the Haribo Company in Germany but we will concentrate mostly on the gummy bears. These are small gum candies that are similar to the jelly bean.

This candy is approximately 2 cm long and takes the shape of the bear. It is one of the most popular candies that are gelatin based and can be found in various colors and shapes.

Although they have been imitated by some brands, they have a unique texture which is substantial than most average gummy candies.

The prosperity of the gummy bears has inspired the production of various gummy candies resembling various objects and animals such as worms, rings, cherries, hippos, sharks and many others.

 

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

 

best snacks reeses peanut butter cups

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1928: This iconic chocolate candy consists of milk, dark or white chocolate cup that is filled with peanut butter and is marketed by Hershey Company.

The Reese’s cups were developed by H. Reese, former shipping foreman of Milton Hershey and dairy farmer. He later left the shipping foreman job at Hershey Company to start a candy business.


Some people are obsessed with the higher quotient of peanut butter Reese’s egg which is the springtime treat while others enjoy the NutRageous.

Others may even claim that Reese’s Sticks may be the best product of Reese’s. But there’s just something satisfyingly classic about the original Reese’s peanut butter cup.

It is a 2 pack that possesses a lot of pleasure with the perfect ratio of peanut butter and the sugary chocolate which has a ridged edge that provides an entry point for the texture and flavor.

 

 

 

1930’s

 

 

 

Fritos

 

best snacks fritos corn chips

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1932: This is the brand of dipping sauces and corn chips that was created by Charles E. Doolin in 1932 and has been produced ever since by Frito-Lay which is a division of the Pepsi Company.

Unlike the tortilla chips that are produced from cornmeal using the process of nixtamalization, the Fritos snacks are prepared by deep frying the whole extruded cornmeal.

This snack has been produced into many varieties such as sweet chili, classic ranch, tomato ribbons, and many others.

The original flavor of Fritos is unremarkable since it contains corn, oil, and salt. They are perfectly delicious and addictive in nature. The Fritos have been in existence for many years and still popular today.

 

Kit Kat

 

best snacks kit kat
(Image Source: Kit Kat - WordPress.com)

 

1935: Kit Kat snack is a wafer bar confection that is covered by chocolate that was developed in the United Kingdom by Rowntree Company.

It is currently produced worldwide by the Nestle Company which acquired the Rowntree Company in the year 1988 before closing it in 2006 except in the US where it is licensed under Hershey Company.

Standard bars of Kit Kat consists of either 2 or 4 pieces that are composed of 3 wafer layers that are covered and separated by the outer chocolate layer. The various flavors of this snack include milk, dark and white chocolate. 

 

 

1940’s

M&M’s

 

best snacks m&m's

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1941: This candy shell snack is probably the best engineering achievement within the confectionary industry due to the fact that they produce numerous savory snacks that are combined with flavors of chocolate.

These are colorful chocolates that are shaped like buttons and each of them tends to have the letter ‘m’ imprinted on one of its side which surrounds the filling that varies based on the type of M&M’s.

The initial candy contained of a filling of milk chocolate which was later branded ‘plain’ variety on the introduction of other brands. Some of its popular brands include the peanut variety that contains peanuts that are coated in chocolate milk and the candy shell.

The M&M’s snacks are the products of Mars, Inc. and originated from the US in the year 1941. They are currently sold in more than one hundred countries since the year 2003.

The Mars confectionery in the US produces over four hundred million M&M’S of different colors per day.

 

Cheetos

 

best snacks cheetos

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1948: The Cheetos snacks consists of puffed cornmeal that is cheese flavored made by Frito-Lay which is the Pepsi company’s subsidiary.

Cheetos were first created in 1948 by Charles E. Doolin, the same year they started being distributed nationally in the United States. 

The production of the initial crunchy Cheetos is still in progress although its product line has been expanded ever since and currently includes twenty-one varieties of Cheetos with North America only.

 

 

 

1960’s

 

 

 

Goldfish

 

best snacks goldfish

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1962: These are cheese crackers that are shaped like a fish and are manufactured by the Pepperidge Farm, a division of Campbell Soup Firm.

The Goldfish crackers have existed in many varieties. Since 1962, some crackers have had an imprint of a smile and an eye.  Currently, the brand’s product packaging and marketing are incorporating this feature.

Goldfish crackers were initially invented in 1958 by a biscuit manufacturer from Switzerland known as Oscar Kambly. These delicious snacks were later introduced in the US by the founder of Pepperidge Farm, Margaret Rudkin in 1962.

The Goldfish are distributed and exported to various countries worldwide where they tend to be sold under different names. For instance, in the United Kingdom, they are referred to as Finz while they are named Goldfischli in Switzerland.

 

Doritos

 

best snacks doritos

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1964: This is a brand of tortilla chips that were first produced by the Frito- Lay Company in 1964, which is a subsidiary of the Pepsi Company.

The initial Doritos did not have any flavors. The very first flavor, Taco, was developed in the year 1967 and various flavors have ever since been launched by the company. 


The concept of Doritos initially came from a certain restaurant that is located in Disneyland. There are over different Doritos flavors that are available on the shelves all the time, each one with its own virtues.

The most notable flavor is the Nacho Cheese which is the single snack that undergoes the greatest mass production in America. 


The Nacho cheese has been imitated by many snacks using Doritos recipes, although you can easily tell the variation through the fake cheese, bliss quotient, spice and tortilla that is contained in each bag of the Doritos.

The only brand that came close to this delicious snack was the Eagle Nacho chips which developed into a big snack ten years ago. 

The plain Doritos chips are prepared from vegetable oil, salt, and ground corn although other ingredients tend to vary across all the flavored varieties of chips. There is a reason as to why a bag of the snack is the 1st thing that is opened in the party of Super Bowl among all the many homemade treats and rarely passes the first quarter. 


This snack makes everything seem better and can surprisingly turn your finger to something delicious. The Locos Tacos Doritos instantly became the best selling snack of Taco Bell.

 

Pringles

 

best snacks pringles

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1967: This is a brand of stackable chips that are wheat based potato chips that were initially created in 1967 by Procter and Gamble.

They are currently being sold in over 140 countries. Pringles were considered to be the 4th most popular brand of snacks in 2012 after Cheetos, Lay’s and Doritos which are all products of Frito-Lay Company. Some of the earliest memories for most snack lovers probably stars the classic Pringles can. 


There are many flavors of Pringles. Although some you may dislike some flavors, Cheddar and Original flavors are some all-time classic favorites. Pringles tries out various flavors so that they can develop the most suitable flavor. They consist of tasty potato crisps which are available in delicious flavors so as to make them worth your money.

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The concept of enjoying various types of fun snacks have been in existence for many years. Over the years, snacking art has advanced in many major ways. It is very interesting to consider these snacks that existed many years ago and are surprisingly popular to date.

Most of these snacks were the first innovations of snacks in the world. Although in the early years a standard snack was a piece of fruit, currently almost all processed snacks have been devised by various food scientists creating bite-size wonders.

Since most of these snacks have been in existence in the market for many years, they can easily be found in most countries.


What’s your favorite snack from over the years? Let us know in the comments! 


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