Nilla Wafers facts for kids
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| Owner | Mondelez International |
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| Introduced | 1898 |
| Previous owners | Nabisco |
Nilla Wafers are delicious vanilla-flavored cookies. They are made by Nabisco, a company that is part of Mondelēz International. These cookies are thin, light, and round.
The name "Nilla" is a shorter way of saying "vanilla." This is because all Nilla products have a vanilla taste. The cookies were first called "Nabisco Vanilla Wafers." In 1967, their name was changed to "Nilla Wafer."
Nilla has also made other products. For example, they introduced pie crusts in 1992. These crusts were flavored like Nilla Wafers. Other Nabisco cookie brands, like Oreos, also had their own pie crusts.
Contents
The Story of Nilla Wafers
How Nilla Wafers Began
The idea for vanilla wafers came from Gustav A. Mayer. He was a baker from Germany who lived on Staten Island in the late 1800s. He created the recipe for these sweet wafers.
Later, Gustav Mayer sold his recipe to Nabisco. In 1898, Nabisco started making the cookies. They called them "Vanilla Wafers" back then.
Nilla Wafers and Banana Pudding
By the 1940s, Vanilla Wafers became very popular. They were a key ingredient in banana pudding, a favorite dessert in the Southern United States. Because of this, Nabisco started printing a banana pudding recipe right on the Vanilla Wafers box.
The cookies kept the name "Vanilla Wafers" for many years. It wasn't until 1967 that the name officially changed to "Nilla Wafers."
How Nilla Wafers Are Advertised
In 2013, Nilla Wafers tried a new way to advertise. They used Facebook and other social media sites. Their ads were aimed at mothers. This was a big deal because most companies used many types of advertising. Mondelēz International, which owns Nilla, focused mainly on social media.
This new advertising plan worked very well. Nilla's sales went up by 9%! Before this, Nabisco used other fun ways to promote the cookies. They even sponsored banana pudding eating contests at amusement parks.
Where Nilla Wafers Are Used
Nilla Wafers are a very common ingredient in banana pudding. Because of this, they are super popular in the American South. In cities like Atlanta and Houston, Nilla Wafers are almost always one of the top five best-selling cookie brands.
Scientists also use Nilla Wafers in their studies. They sometimes give the wafers to rats when testing new medicines. This helps the rats take the medicine easily. Nilla's packaging has also been studied to see what colors or designs people like best.
