The History Behind Deep fried Oreos & Twinkies - America’s Favourite

Deep fried Oreos, largely considered an American delicacy, this particular food is often the perfect nightcap to a night of drunken debauchery. But while you may have tried your fair share of deep fried coconut shrimp and Oreo cookie bits in your lifetime, here's one version that will probably catch you off guard at least if you think back far enough.

Today we'll explore the history behind the urban legend of fried Oreos and deep fried Twinkies, and introduce you to a few other foods that were considered delicacies in our not so distant past. We decided then and there that we would make it our mission to track down the history of these delicacies, even if it meant traveling back in time (which isn't really that hard when your work digs up ancient recipes like ours does). We also wanted to expose you all to some old-fashioned American favorites and let you know what people used to think made a good meal.

So without further ado, let's start with the history of deep fried Oreos and where this recipe came from originally. What we really find interesting about the story behind fried Oreos is that it actually doesn't originate in the U.S., but first surfaced as a delicacy in China! Fried Oreos first started popping up on American soil sometime during silent movie screenings at Chinese theaters around the 1920s, which is somehow fitting for a foodborne from someone's imagination. This also makes sense because back then Americans would go to these theaters as a way to escape their busy lives and take a trip "back east", which means they were already primed to experience new foods from faraway places.

Some other traditional American favorites include:

• Fried chicken: One of the most popular comfort foods in America, fried chicken is a dish that can be found in almost every region of the country. But what you may not know is that this classic dish actually has its roots in Scottish and English cuisine, where it was made with pork or mutton (lamb). The first recorded recipe for fried chicken in the United States appeared in a cookbook published in 1802 by Eliza Leslie.
• Apple pie: Not just deep fried Oreos and deep fried Twinkies, as American as baseball and hot dogs, apple pie is one of the most iconic desserts in the country. And while there are many variations of this1 classic, the original apple pies were actually not made with apples at all. Early American colonists used to make this dessert with any type of fruit that was locally available, which meant it could be made with either cranberries or blueberries when there were no apples to be found (not even in early America!).
• Peanut butter: This is one product you'd think would have been invented right here in the U.S., but surprisingly peanuts and peanut butter actually come from South America! The Aztecs and Incas both enjoyed adding these legumes to their diets. It wasn't until the 18th century that Americans got a taste for peanuts and started roasting them like they do today (and also started turning them into peanut butter).
• Hamburgers: Believe it or not, the first hamburgers in America were actually made with pork! The dish was created by German immigrants who settled in the Midwest and started serving their version of a "patty melt" at local fairs and festivals. It wasn't until the early 20th century that beef replaced pork as the meat of choice for this dish.

While we could go on and on (and on), we'll stop here for now and let you get to cooking! We hope you enjoy these classic American recipes as much as we do. And if you're feeling adventurous, be sure to try making deep fried Oreos and deep fried Twinkies—just make sure you have plenty of napkins handy!