As Bloomberg reports, this will be the second time that Oreo has departed from its original formula. The new Oreos, arriving Feb. 2 for six weeks — or until supplies last — will feature red cookies and cream cheese filling. So far, the release seems to be limited to the U.S., and just in time for Valentine’s Day. The cookies will cost $4.49 per bag.
Though Oreo has since released a slew of limited-edition Oreo flavours — like Pumpkin Spice, Banana Split Creme and Cool Mint — its first permanent departure from its original formula came in the form of Golden Oreos, released in 2004. The Red Velvet Oreo has long been speculated about — last October, Consumerist debated on whether or not the cookies would ever be more than a rumour.
This run of Red Velvet will test the market to see if it will catch on, capitalizing on the red velvet craze that’s been going on for years.
As the New York Times explains, Red Velvet — which in its simplest form was just chocolate cake dyed red — is seen as a dessert from the South, but its origins may be in the Waldorf in New York, around the 1920s, Various mentions of the dessert seemed to have increased its popularity over the years, from an appearance in 1989’s Steel Magnolias to the 2002 wedding of Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey.