The Dark Secrets of Oreo Cookies

Everybody Loves an Oreo

I am sure everybody would agree that Oreos have become an icon of 20th-century culture since their debut in 1912.

And the crumbly chocolate wafers and sweet cream filling is pretty versatile. You can pop them in the mouth as it is, dunk them in hot or cold milk or bake them into an exquisitely decadent dessert. The options of enjoying Oreos are endless and that is the reason it is one of the world’s most loved cookies.

Now coming to a bit of history, in 1898, several baking companies merged to form the National Biscuit Company, also called Nabisco. Nabisco had several products, to begin with but it was not until 1912 it hit upon an idea of a cookie that was suspiciously similar to another one already invented by Sunshine Biscuits Company in 1908, called the cookie Hydrox.

Anyway, long story short, the name Oreo stuck and quickly surpassed the popularity of its competitor. Nabisco filed the patent of its new cookies and the request was granted on August 12, 1913.A best-seller was thus born to rule the cookie world.

And if you were a fan of Oreos anytime, you would have probably wondered (before chomping it down of course!) about the strange intricate design stamped into the wafers. The design consists of the name OREO is in the centre, ringed by a curious design of cloves and what appear to be flowers.

Therefore, the question is the Oreo design just a design spewed out from the over-imaginative mind of an artist, or could it be indicative of something more secretive. Freemasonry? Templars?

And what about the name OREO itself? Is it just a cute, meaningless name or does it have a deeper meaning?

Let us find out.

Does OREO Mean Anything?

Ok, let us start with the name. The people at Nabisco aren't quite sure why the name OREO was chosen but there are many theories.

Some believe “Oreo” is derived from the French word for gold that was the colour of Oreo packaging initially. It could also come from the Greek word for mountain ‘oros’ since an Oreo is a ‘mountain’ of a cookie. And perhaps the most bare-bones explanation can be it was short, fun, and easy to pronounce.

But hold on…the etymology of the word gives it a brand-new twist. The etymology of the word OREO gives us two words. Or and Eo. The Hebrew meaning of the word Or is light but it can also mean dawn, daylight, early morning, lightning, star, sun, sunlight, and sunshine. The word Eo has a similar meaning, dawn, or morning. In a nutshell, OREO might mean ‘morning star'.

Interestingly, Jesus calls himself the ‘bright morning star’ in Revelation 22:16 when he says.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star,”

Is it just a coincidence or purposefully done? Nobody has any answers yet.

The OREO Design Is Interesting

Now let us come to the design itself. The design features the word "Oreo" surrounded by an oval with a double-crossed line, which also happens to be Nabisco's logo and surrounding that are four-petaled flower shapes.

Now the cookie circle topped by a double cross line is the Nabisco logo. It stands for the European symbol of quality. But the double cross line also stands for Cross of Lorraine.

This cross was an important symbolism and served as a rallying point to crush the Muslims during the First Crusade in the 11th century when Knights Templar carried a version of this cross to Jerusalem to recapture it from the Turks. And as we know, the Knights Templar slaughtered the Turks and won the crusade. Thus like Oreo, its history is also dark.

Now coming to the four-petalled flowers, it is very similar to the Cross Pattee. The knight Templars used this symbol to sew to their clothes so that they can differentiate themselves from the soldiers of other religions. The leaves emphasize hope, faith, love, and luck that the Templars would bring along with them to vanquish the Islamic armies against all odds.

Adding further, the arranging of the dots around the cookie are strategically placed to form the 5-Pointed Star, which is again a symbol of the Order of the Eastern Star. All the above symbols are still used throughout the Masonic bodies like the Eastern Star, Knights Templar, and the Scottish rite.

The OREO Mystery Continues

Therefore, this means that Oreo does not just remain a friendly cookie anymore but it also gives hidden lessons in religion, patriotism, and the power to change our lives for the better by our own actions. Again, the question comes if all this was created as a coincidence, or is it part of a secret crusade; no one knows the answers yet.

Interestingly the inventor, William Turnier who was responsible for designing the current Oreo design way back in 1954 was supposedly a freemason. Although Nabisco has never offered an official explanation for the design, they have also not denied Turnier involvement in the design and the symbology behind it.

And while the mystery continues, a much better option is to dwell on it by simply grabbing a whole package of these delicious cookies, dunk them in warm milk and enjoy the sweetness flowing deep within our hearts.