Goldfish Crackers: History, Flavors & Facts

Snack History Nostalgia Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Goldfish crackers are shaped like fish and have a smiley face imprinted on them. They are one of the favored snacks of children everywhere, and most people have eaten at least one variety of these clever little treats. Childhood and Goldfish crackers are intimately linked together in the United States, and many people still view this little snack cracker as a comfort food even into adulthood.

For those who are less familiar, these are charming little Goldfish crackers that can easily be consumed on the airplane, in the car, or while enjoying something like a hike. There is something delightfully charming about these little crackers, and many people count them among their very favorite snacks of all time.

History

Goldfish crackers were the invention of Oscar J. Kambly, who owned the Swiss biscuit company, Kambly. Goldfish were first sold in 1958 and were actually made to celebrate Kambly’s wife, who was a Pisces. The little snacks came to the US in 1962 to be sold by Pepperidge Farm founder Margaret Rudkin. Rudkin had enjoyed the snacks when she was traveling abroad and knew that they would be a big hit in the US. She was able to arrange a deal with Kambly to sell and manufacture them at home and thus began the story of one of the most popular snacking crackers in the US.

Goldfish crackers actually launched with five flavors. The original series of flavors were Salted, which was more like a Saltine cracker, Cheese, Barbecue, Pizza, and Smoky. Cheddar Cheese, which is the flavor that everyone is most familiar with, actually didn’t join the stable of Goldfish products until 1966.

The original mascot was called “Finn,” and he was a little fish who wore sunglasses. The bags of crackers were largely the same shape when they were first released, but they were styled more like biscuit or cookie brand bags. Little images of the fish themselves wandered around the center of the bags, and the Pepperidge Farm logo was front and center on each bag. Over time, the white background and cartoon fish livery became the standard, which was a clear departure from the original styling of the product.

For Rudkin, who had struggled to feed her son with terrible allergies that might have been a gluten intolerance, Goldfish crackers joined the variety of other products that she considered to be ideal and safe for kids to eat. It was her goal to make sure that Pepperidge Farm offered products that were safe for kids to enjoy and that were family-friendly. This brand focus has carried forward even into today, and Goldfish crackers have continued to be trusted for generations as an ideal snacking cracker for small children and adults alike.

The slogan for Goldfish Crackers has always been some variation of the original, which was, “The snack that smiles back! Goldfish!” While Finn, the plucky fish mascot, has receded into the background of the product’s advertising, the slogan and the assertion that the snack continues to be a “baked snack cracker” have continued to be used to promote Goldfish products. In a sea of not-so-healthy snacking choices, Goldfish loom large as a treat that can be enjoyed when you want to make sure you are avoiding excess sugar and unhealthy ingredients. 

Goldfish are also sold in the UK under the name, “Finz”. The product is otherwise identical and is well-loved, just as in the US. In Switzerland, Goldfish are called, “Goldfishli”. The little crackers are also sold in Australia under the brand Arnott. Arnott contracts to sell Goldfish in some markets in Hong Kong and Canada as well.

Goldfish crackers were so popular by the late 90s that Nabisco actually attempted to make their own version of the little cheesy, fish-shaped crackers in 1999. Pepperidge Farm won the court case, and Nabisco was required to cease making the copycat snack.

If you have never experienced the cheesy goodness of a cheddar-flavored Goldfish, you should make sure that you get a bag to enjoy today. There are so many reasons that this snack is well-known and very famous, and you will see why once you start snacking on these little treats. If you love the cheddar variety of the snack, you can also make sure that you try some of the other different varieties of Goldfish that are on the market as well. Each unique variety is clever and fun, and delicious!

What’s Behind the Goldfish Name?

Earlier, it was mentioned that Goldfish were named after an astrological sign in order to honor the wife of their creator. Many people believe, however, that the reason that Goldfish crackers were designed with their current fish shape was that they were intended to be added to soup, and they would appear to “swim” through the soup. Most people do not use the little crackers for soup as Saltines have largely cornered that particular market. However, the bags of Goldfish made in the US do indicate that they can be used in soup right on the front of the bag.

For those who still use the little fish to make their soup more enticing, it can be fun to swirl the little fishy crackers around the bowl and watch them “swim”. Even if this was not the reason for the naming convention of the brand, it could be a fun way to encourage kids to eat their soup while having fun at the same time. Like so many things to do with popular knowledge, the true reason for the Goldfish crackers brand’s name has been mostly lost to history. However, that does not dim the enjoyment of the treat that is possible when you select these little crackers for snacking or for soup-eating.

As an alternative popular culture item, some people have begun adding the S’mores Goldfish to their hot drinks to create marshmallow hot chocolate and other yummy flavor combinations. There are many ways to enjoy Goldfish crackers, and you don’t have to limit your creativity when it comes to making the most of your snacking time with Goldfish on the menu!

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Varieties

• Original (also called Saltine)
• Cheddar
• Parmesan
• Pretzel
• Pizza
• Baby Cheddar
• Grahams
• Vanilla Cupcake
• S’mores
• Fudge Brownie
• Flavor Blasted Cheddar & Sour Cream
• Flavor Blasted Xtra Cheddar
• Flavor Blasted Cheddar Jck’d
• Flavor Blasted Sour Cream & onion
• Flavor Blasted White Cheddar
• Flavor Blasted Xtra Cheesy Pizza
• Mix
• Frank’s Redhot
• Jalapeno Popper
• Whole Grain Cheddar

Some of the mixes come in different colors as well, and seasonal varieties can crop up that are colored for the holidays. The Colors version of Goldfish comes in yellow, orange, red, and green. Princess Goldfish are pink in color, And Mickey Mouse Goldfish are shaped like Mickey’s head. Mega Bites are larger than the other varieties, and there are also Star Wars Goldfish that you can buy from some outlets.

Goldfish have also come in some other varieties and shapes that have been discontinued:

• PhysEdibles made with whole grains
• Puffs that were launched in 2013 but have gone off the shelves
• Giant Sandwich Crackers
• Giant Goldfish
• Sandwich Snackers
• Garden Cheddar
• Mac & Cheese
• Cars 3, which were red and shaped like Lightning McQueen
• Flavor Blasted Grahams
• Cinabuddy Snack Bites

Goldfish Crackers Ingredients

From the Campbell’s/Pepperidge Farm website entry for Goldfish:

• Enriched wheat flour (flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
• Cheddar cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes)
• Annatto
• Vegetable oils (canola, sunflower, and/or soybean)
• Salt
• Contains 2% or less of: yeast, sugar, autolyzed yeast extract, paprika, spices, celery, onion powder, monocalcium phosphate, baking soda)

There are warnings for allergens of wheat and milk on each bag. The list of ingredients always begins with the phrase “Made with Smiles” as well.

The Goldfish Smile

The smiley face on the Goldfish crackers is not on every single little fish in a big. The little smiley faces are stamped onto a set number per bag, which means that finding the smiling fish can be a fun game for kids when they are snacking. During holidays or when special series of Goldfish are being sold, sometimes the whole bag of fish will have a smiley face on it. This is not common, but it is often done to the delight of consumers during specific events.

The smiley face on the little fish crackers in each bag of Goldfish has long been one of the most popular parts of the treat. There is something so delightfully upbeat and happy about the process of pulling out a little snack cracker and seeing it smiling back at you that this has continued to be a feature of the Goldfish brand for generations. Kids, in particular, love this part of eating Goldfish, but adults are no less delighted, especially if they remember this part of eating these snacks when they were children.

Ingredients

• Enriched Wheat Flour (Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid)
• Vegetable Oils (Canola, Sunflower, and/or Soybean)
• Salt
• Contains 2% or Less of Nonfat Milk, Yeast, Sugar, Baking Soda, Monocalcium Phosphate, Paprika, Spices, Celery, and Onion Powder.

Nutrition

Serving Size:	55 pieces (30g)	% Daily Value*
Amount Per Serving
Calories	137
Total Fat	4.8g	6%
Sodium	262mg	11%
Total Carbohydrates	20g	7%
Sugars	0.2g
Protein	3.5g
Calcium	34mg	3%
Iron	1.3mg	7%
Potassium	59.7mg	1%

• The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Pictures

Ads

A compilation of recent ads:

A more recent commercial with Finn making a comeback:

A silly Megabites ad: