Animal crackers are addicting. Whether you ate the ones from the little red box with a circus on it or throw your kids the ones that come in a huge jar these days, almost everyone loves an animal cracker. We’ve got some wild facts that you just have to know about these cookies.
They sold for five cents
In 1902, you could get a box of animal crackers for five cents. These days you can find them on sale, but most go for about a dollar.
The box contains a string with a purpose
Nabisco’s Barnum’s Animal Crackers come with a string for a reason. The company uses over 8,000 miles of string each year for the boxes. The string was originally intended for use as a holiday tree ornament. These days kids usually toe their snack around holding the string.
Animal crackers are not a brand
There are numerous different types of animal-shaped treats on store shelves. The Stauffer Biscuit Company in New York was the first company in the United States to create its own animal cookie in 1871. The classic cookies remain almost the same with just enough detail that you know which animal you’re eating.
The original design angered PETA
Nabisco’s Barnum’s Animal Crackers changed up the art on their box for the first time in 116 years. PETA urged them to change the drawing from animals in cages to something ethical that wasn’t offensive to some people.
Only one animal wears clothes
There’s only one animal design on the box that actually wears clothing. The monkey is designed wearing pants, and no one can give you a good reason. The rest of the animals are in their natural element.
Nabisco animal crackers are much different than Stauffer’s animal crackers for one reason.
Stauffer’s animal crackers don’t have much detail in their design. They keep it classic. When Nabisco began making their own crackers, they decided that people needed to definitely recognize which animal’s head they were biting off. They use the same cuts today that they did in 1958.
Animal crackers didn’t originate as crackers
These cookies originated in England as animal biscuits. During the 1800s, the crackers soared in popularity there. Bakers in America began copying the idea and making their own recipes.
They were first sold from a barrel
Animal crackers were first sold in large quantities from a barrel. In 1902, Nabisco decided to sell these cookies in boxes. They based the design on the P.T. Barnum Circus. This design included boxes with pictures of the animals on the circus trains.
