Hi, Drox!

[Johnny_L.A]

One Man’s Mission To Bring Back Hydrox Cookies

I’ve had Hydrox cookies. Must have been 30 or 40 years ago, though. I recall not liking them as much as Oreos.

This is one of those products where people took sides. There were Hydrox people and Oreo people.

I’ve heard this. I guess I was an ‘Oreo guy’. I liked this exchange:

MILLER: Once you’ve had a Hydrox, you don’t want anything else because it’s just a fake.

KESTENBAUM: But they’re both cookies, and they’re pretty similar, you know? (Laughter).

MILLER: No, no, no.

KESTENBAUM: They have chocolate wafers on the outside and some cream in the middle.

MILLER: (Laughter) No, they’re not similar. They’re not.

KESTENBAUM: They are similar.

MILLER: OK, well, they’re the same color.

I guess I didn’t know Hydrox cookies haven’t been made since 1999. I rarely buy cookies. When I do want a ‘chocolate sandwich cookie’ I’ll pick up Joe-Joe’s from Trader Joe’s. (Actually, I prefer Oreos to those; but it’s not that important to me.) I never noticed there were no Hydrox.

Anyway, good news for those of you lamenting the discontinuation of the original two-chocolate-wafers-with-white-cream-in-the-middle cookie.

[stillownedbysetters]

Since I would be one of those lamenting the loss of Hydrox, this IS good news. There’s nothing wrong with Oreos, but Hyrdrox were better. The ‘cream’ in the Oreos leaves a greasy feeling inside your mouth after you eat them, but Hydrox never did. Ergo, much preferred in my mind.

[Pai325]

I was a Hydroxide person. That’s what my mom would pack in my lunch. I just hope they haven’t messed with it too much.

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

Growing up in a kosher home in the 1970-80s, Hydrox was our sandwich cookie of choice. I continued buying them even after I stopped keeping kosher, because I appreciated the fact that they went through the trouble to make a kosher oreo-type cookie for us poor kosher kids.

I was sad to see them go.

[Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew]

@IvoryTowerDenizen

Growing up in a kosher home in the 1970-80s, Hydrox was our sandwich cookie of choice. I continued buying them even after I stopped keeping kosher, because I appreciated the fact that they went through the trouble to make a kosher oreo-type cookie for us poor kosher kids.

I was sad to see them go.

Oreos are kosher now. Or at least they stopped using lard years ago, I don’t know if they’re actually certified kosher.

I’m sure I must have had both back in the day, but I don’t remember the difference between Hydrox and Oreos.

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

@Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew

Oreos are kosher now. Or at least they stopped using lard years ago, I don’t know if they’re actually certified kosher.

I’m sure I must have had both back in the day, but I don’t remember the difference between Hydrox and Oreos.

I know- which is why I mentioned it was the 70s-80s. I don’t keep kosher anyway- but I like to support brands that made the effort.

[WOOKINPANUB]

As I kid I didn’t like Hydrox. They seemed like a lesser version or Oreos (although I think Hydrox came first?). I vaguely remember they had a weird after taste but now I’m thinking maybe they’re just less sweet, and in that case I might prefer them today. A taste test will be in order.

[Master_Wang-Ka]

I vaguely remember not liking Hydrox as much as Oreos, but I can barely remember the difference… although I do remember, even in kindergarten, thinking, “Who the hell names anything Hydrox? Sounds like a company that drills water wells or something, not a delicious snack.”

[Johnny_L.A]

@Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew

Oreos are kosher now. Or at least they stopped using lard years ago, I don’t know if they’re actually certified kosher.

https://oukosher.org/publications/latest-oreo-cookies/

At the present time, most varieties of Oreo Cookies contain dairy ingredients, with three notable exceptions. Original Oreo Sandwich Cookies, Oreo Double Stuf Sandwich Cookies and Mini Original Oreo Sandwich Cookies do not contain dairy ingredients, though they are manufactured on dairy equipment. The equipment is not necessarily cleaned before the production of these three cookies, and there may be a small amount of dairy residue present. Nonetheless, the dairy component would be minimal, and from a Halachic perspective, the dairy residue is nullified (botel bishishim) and of no consequence. The bottom line of all this is that these three cookies may be consumed after meat and poultry, but not simultaneously.

http://www.oreo.co.uk/FAQ

Is Oreo halal?
Oreo Original, Chocolate crème, Mini Oreo and Double Stuff Oreo biscuits are suitable for halal diets. Although Oreo products on general sale in the UK are made without pork derivatives or alcohol, they are not halal-certified.

<and>

Is Oreo kosher?
Oreo Original, Chocolate crème, Mini Oreo and Double Stuff Oreo biscuits are suitable for kosher diets.

Although Oreo products on general sale in the UK and Ireland are made without pork derivatives or alcohol, they are not kosher-certified.

White and milk chocolate covered Oreo’s are not suitable for Kosher diets.

EDIT: The second link is a .uk domain. I don’t know how it applies to U.S.-made cookies.

.

[kaylasdad99]

I remember that the first time I had Hydrox as a kid (sometime in the Seventies), I had the impression that the cream filling tasted a little like coconut. So I found them superior to Oreos (of course).

Later encounters with Hydrox failed to deliver that flavor, however, so I stopped seeking them out.

[Master_Wang-Ka]

And not for the first time, I find myself thinking, “Damn. Being Jewish is complicated.”

[Johnny_L.A]

@Master_Wang-Ka

And not for the first time, I find myself thinking, “Damn. Being Jewish is complicated.”

I’m glad I have no dietary restrictions. Who would have thought a cookie could be forbidden?

[Master_Wang-Ka]

@Johnny_L.A

I’m glad I have no dietary restrictions. Who would have thought a cookie could be forbidden?

Well, Moses, apparently.

[ftg]

I preferred Hydrox. Better filling and in a more suitable amount. (More is not always better, especially when it comes to sugar/fat combos.)

My side-by-side taste testing of the outside also showed that Hydrox was better.

But all too many folk have a death wish and want more of that crappy filling.

[Johnny_L.A]

@ftg

But all too many folk have a death wish and want more of that crappy filling.

Heh. When I was a kid, my sister and I would have ‘Oreo filling’ by mixing sugar and Crisco.

[RealityChuck]

Hydrox was always far too skimpy on the creme. Oreos got it right (Double Stuff is too far in the other direction).

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

@Johnny_L.A

I’m glad I have no dietary restrictions. Who would have thought a cookie could be forbidden?

Three ways:

1. It contains nonkosher ingredients, like lard.

2. It’s made on equipment that also makes things with nonkosher ingredients, even if the cookie itself doesn’t.

3. It’s perfectly fine, but there was no Rabbinical oversight to document that it’s kosher, so it can’t get the symbol on the package.

[congodwarf]

I always preferred Hydrox. Oreos are fine (not double stuff though - blech). Peanut butter and mint oreos are better than the original but Hydrox was my favorite. It always seemed like the cookie was crispier and the cream was creamier.

[BigT]

I honestly don’t remember, even though I’m sure I had them. I just remember Oreo and “other.” And the “other” always tasted very different, like they weren’t even trying to be similar.

[MovieMogul]

This inspired me to look up my favorite candy as a kid, the since-discontinued Willy Wonka sugar discs called Wacky Wafers. Pulling up the website that is committed to resurrecting this treat, it looks like they’re working on Hydrox, too: Article Not Found