Buzz
Amidst modern innovations like Oreo-flavored wine and cappuccino-flavored potato chips, there remain some classic snacks that have stood the test of time. Here are a few of the oldest snack foods still enjoyed today.
1. Popcorn
Though popcorn and pretzels are often found together at parties, there’s no question which snack has a longer history. In 1948, archaeologists in New Mexico unearthed tiny, ancient corncobs with minuscule kernels believed to have been popped as popcorn. These cobs were thought to be over 5,600 years old, according to radiocarbon dating. However, later research in the 1980s, using advanced technology, estimated them to be around 3,100 years old, which aligns with other findings from nearby agricultural sites.
2. Pretzels
Pretzels are among the world's oldest snack foods. The first pretzels were created by Italian monks in the Middle Ages as a reward for young children attending church services. The German word pretzel likely comes from the Latin bracchiatus, which means "with branches, with arms,” a reference to the shape of the pretzel resembling two arms crossed in prayer.
3. Triscuits
In 1900, Nabisco introduced its delicious shredded wheat cracker in Niagara Falls, New York. The company marketed Triscuits as being “baked by electricity!” to highlight the revolutionary electric ovens of that time. Historians have theorized that the name of the cracker is a combination of elecTRIcity and bisCUIT.
4. Oreo Cookies
Nabisco also introduced milk’s favorite cookie quite early on. The original Oreos were produced in 1912 at the company’s factory on Manhattan’s west side. Oreos were created to rival Sunshine Biscuits' Hydrox sandwich cookies, which were first launched in 1908.
5. Cracker Jack
Cracker Jack dates back to 1871, when German immigrant Frederick William Rueckheim began preparing and selling popcorn in Chicago. Legend has it that Rueckheim, along with his brother Louis, debuted the sweet and crunchy snack we know today as Cracker Jack at the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893. By 1896, Cracker Jack was being mass-produced and became a beloved treat among popcorn enthusiasts and baseball fans nationwide.
6. Lay’s Potato Chips
Lay’s launched its classic chip in 1932. The invention of the continuous potato processor in 1942 revolutionized production, enabling the chips to be made in large volumes and spreading the Lay's brand across the United States.
7. Fritos
Fritos are fast approaching their hundredth anniversary. In 1932, entrepreneur Elmer Doolin acquired the corn chip recipe from his former employer, Gustavo Olguin, a San Antonio restaurant owner, and began mass-producing the chips. Doolin was a snack visionary: he also went on to create Cheetos.
8. Twinkies
In 1930, baker James Alexander Dewar had an idea to make use of his bakery’s cream-filling machines throughout the year. During strawberry season, he crafted strawberry cream-filled cakes, and for the rest of the year, he switched to banana filling. Originally, the iconic “golden sponge cake with creamy filling” was filled with banana cream, but during World War II, a shortage of bananas led to the change to vanilla filling, which proved so popular that it stayed as the permanent Twinkie flavor.
9. Jell-O
The main ingredient in Jell-O, gelatin, has long been used to bind together desserts and sweets. However, gelatin was difficult to produce and didn't gain widespread popularity until Peter Cooper patented powdered gelatin in 1845. In 1897, Pearle Bixby Wait trademarked his own version of the powdered gelatin dessert, naming it Jell-O, which was initially offered in raspberry, lemon, orange, and strawberry flavors.
10. Marshmallows
In ancient Egypt, the first "marshmallows" were made from the sap of the marsh mallow plant (Athaea officinalis), mixed with honey and nuts. This confection was used as a remedy to ease sore throats. It wasn’t until the 19th century that French candy makers began whipping the mixture to create the familiar airy texture. However, it was only in 1948 that the signature cylindrical shape was achieved through an extrusion process.
11. Necco Wafers
One of America’s earliest candies, the New England Confectionary Company started producing Necco wafers in 1847, with the goal of making them their signature product. The wafer’s creation can be credited to Oliver Chase, who invented a cutting machine that allowed the wafers to be sliced incredibly thin.
This article was originally published in 2015; it has been updated for 2022.
