Are these caramel-coconut-chocolate Woman Scout cookies you simply purchased referred to as Samoas or Caramel deLites? Are the peanut butter-chocolate cookies Tagalongs or Peanut Butter Patties? Do they style the identical, even when they’ve a unique identify?
It is dependent upon the place you purchase them in North Carolina. It additionally is dependent upon how a lot of a cookie connoisseur you’re.
This weekend is Nationwide Woman Scout Cookie Weekend. It’s the season once you go to the grocery retailer with an inventory and go away with an armful of multicolored cookie packing containers. Greater than 200 million packing containers of Woman Scout cookies are offered yearly, however most individuals don’t notice that sure cookies have regional variations in identify and style.
The names and recipes of 4 widespread cookies are distinct due to enterprise contracts between native Woman Scout Councils and the bakeries, whose recipes and substances differ. Throughout most of North Carolina, Woman Scouts promote cookies produced by ABC Bakers. However within the Charlotte space and the northern portion of the coast, the cookies come from Little Brownie Bakers.
This has created a North Carolina regional cookie divide, with individuals defending one cookie identify or style over one other. Others merely don’t know there’s a distinction, inflicting confusion on the cookie desk.
Former New Mexico resident Lisa Farrell needed to purchase the caramel-coconut-chocolate cookies at a current sale in Carrboro, the place they’re referred to as Caramel deLites. Farrell mentioned she’s by no means seen the cookies referred to as by the names they’ve within the Triangle.
“I went to ask for a field of Samoas, and I used to be like ‘Oh they don’t have Samoas,’” she mentioned, “after which I seemed on the image and that’s how I knew.”
Cookies via the ages
The supply of Woman Scout cookies has modified over this system’s historical past. At one level Woman Scouts of the US licensed 29 bakers to supply the cookies nationwide, in 1948. Within the Sixties that quantity was all the way down to 14 after which “streamlined” to 4 in 1978, in keeping with the Woman Scouts web site.
At the moment Woman Scout councils — umbrella organizations that lead a number of Woman Scout troops by area — signal contracts with one of many two bakeries at their very own discretion.
Councils decide the costs of packing containers, bearing in mind its wants and the native market, in keeping with the Woman Scouts web site. There are 4 councils in North Carolina.
Though the regional councils have some autonomy, in 1982 Woman Scouts of the US labeled three cookies as “obligatory” — Skinny Mint, Peanut Butter Sandwich/Do-si-dos, and Shortbread/Trefoils, in keeping with the Woman Scout web site.
Woman Scouts of the US declined to reply why it licenses two fairly than one baker.
“We do not usually present commentary on enterprise selections relating to the 2 bakers,” a consultant mentioned in an e mail.
North Carolina cookie divide
Two North Carolina councils promote Little Brownie cookies (with names like Samoas and Tagalongs): Woman Scouts of the Colonial Coast and Woman Scouts Hornets’ Nest. These councils embody the northeast nook of the state and the Charlotte space, solely about 20% of the state.
UNC Charlotte scholar Briana Department likes the flavour of coconutty Samoas (elsewhere referred to as Caramel deLites) one of the best.
“I even have a choice for that identify fairly than Caramel deLites,” she mentioned, “as a result of I grew up in Charlotte and it’s all I do know.”
However for the butter cookies offered in her space, Trefoils, she prefers the opposite baker’s identify.
“Shortbread simply sounds prefer it suits the cookie method higher,” she mentioned.
Two different councils promote ABC cookies (Assume: Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Patties): Woman Scouts North Carolina Coastal Pines, and Woman Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont. These councils cowl about 80% of the state.
A number of central councils in North Carolina merged within the late 2000s to kind Coastal Pines. The brand new council sells ABC cookies. Some former Scouts within the Triangle keep in mind that change inflicting disruption.
RT Helms, a former Scout who offered cookies in Raleigh from 1999 to 2011, mentioned prospects observed the change in taste from Little Brownie (Helms’ private favourite) to ABC cookies.
“We bought loads of feedback on that within the couple years after the change,” Helms mentioned.
Helms’ sister Alexandra additionally was a lifetime Scout. After the change, she thought ABC cookies tended to be stale in comparison with Little Brownie cookies, however ABC appeared to supply extra taste selection in addition to vegan and gluten-free cookies.
The names of what they used to promote — Little Brownie’s Tagalongs and Do-si-dos — are extra enjoyable, she mentioned.
“That was what I used to be most bummed about once we switched bakers,” she mentioned.
Heather Erlemann was a Cary Scout in elementary faculty when the bakery change occurred. She continued promoting cookies for years after and witnessed the confusion.
She couldn’t inform a distinction in style, she mentioned, however some individuals mentioned Little Brownie cookies had been higher. She remembers how Tagalongs was Peanut Butter Patties.
“We bought to know all of the names as a result of individuals would come up and ask for his or her favourite cookie, and we’d be like ‘Oh it modified names, nevertheless it’s the identical factor I promise,’” Erlemann mentioned.
So which one is basically higher?
Little Brownie’s Tagalongs, Samoas and Trefoils all have longer ingredient lists than their ABC counterparts. Little Brownie’s Do-si-dos have fewer substances however lists peanut butter because the fifth ingredient, versus it being the primary in ABC’s substances.
Even Skinny Mints, the most well-liked Woman Scout cookie, have completely different substances between the 2 varieties, with Little Brownie’s model itemizing “oil of peppermint” and ABC’s containing pure and synthetic taste.
ABC Bakers and its dad or mum firm Hearthside Meals Options declined to touch upon its Woman Scout cookie names and recipes.
“In our position as a baker, we don’t communicate to the media about any of our prospects or their manufacturers,” mentioned Could Ellen Oakley, Woman Scout Analyst for Buyer Expertise.
On the finish of the day, North Carolina can quibble about cookie minutia, or it could munch in blissful ignorance. Mark Heizer, a Carrboro cookie buyer, mentioned he by no means paid consideration to the names.
“I usually simply open the field and eat them,” he mentioned, “and so they’re all good.”
