The unstoppable rise of the Oreo

Sir, – Up until a few short years ago I was never aware of this particular biscuit. Now it seems to be ubiscuitous, sorry, ubiquitous. I returned recently to a café in Galway where last year I had enjoyed a memorably good lemon cheesecake and hoped to repeat the experience. Sadly, it wasn’t to be. This time no lemon cheesecake. They could offer Oreo cheesecake, though.

In a local chip shop, the menu now offers, alongside the questionable battered Mars bar, the additional option of battered Oreo. Ugh.

The manufacturers of this confection must employ an admirable marketing campaign and exert quite a bit of influence. I see Oreo shakes from major burger chains advertised on buses. Ditto ice creams made with the biscuit.

It would seem that, in a nation reared on digestives, custard creams and “who put the figs in the fig rolls?” that this US import has become the nation’s favourite. Only the other day did I finally get the chance to try one of these biscuits. My verdict – unremarkable in the extreme! – Yours, etc,

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JD MANGAN,

Stillorgan, Co Dublin.