Like many popular snack stories, the history of cheese doodles has multiple possible origins. One of the most accepted ones involves a man named Morrie Yohai. Yohai was the president of his father’s company, Old London Foods, based in the Bronx district of New York. After a series of food inventions, the company set about creating another using cornmeal-based animal feed. In 1948, their machines accidentally processed this cornmeal under high pressure, resulting in a tubular shape.
Adding to this process, Old London Foods started baking different cheese flavorings before finding just the right mixture. Cheese Doodlez then entered the market, becoming a delectable hit. Unfortunately for them, Cheetos, the other cheese snack brand, gained national distribution and had a broader market appeal, overshadowing its competitor.
In 1965, the Borden Condensed Milk Company purchased the Cheez Doodle Company, Old London Foods. Borden acquired the snack-food company Wise, where Cheez Doodle was eventually assigned. Wise created Crunchy Cheez Doodles in the late 1960s because people just couldn’t get enough of the snack. They loved the shape, the flavor, and didn’t mind their covered cheese dust fingers. It just meant they had more of that cheesy taste to enjoy.
Today, cheese doodles are considered one of the most popular snacks and their many flavors are well-loved. They’re part of the usual group of snacks you’d expect to find at parties, as well as ingredients for other dishes. Much like their accidental creation, cheese doodles have taken on a life of their own. It’s no wonder that these finger-licking snacks are deserve their own special day.