Newtons (cookie)

Newtons, most prominently Fig Newtons, are a Nabisco trademarked version of the fig roll, a pastry (biscuit in the UK) filled with fig paste. They are produced by an extrusion process.[2] Their distinctive shape is a characteristic that has been adopted by competitors, including generic fig bars sold in many markets.

Newtons
Two Newtons showing fig filling
TypePastry
Created byCharles Roser[1]
Invented1891 (1891)
Main ingredientsFigs

Brand history
A box of Fig Newtons

Until the late 19th century, many physicians believed that most illnesses were related to digestion problems,[3] and recommended a daily intake of biscuits and fruit. Fig rolls were the ideal solution to this advice. They were a locally produced and handmade product until a Philadelphia baker and fig lover, Charles Roser, invented and then patented a machine in 1891 which inserted fig paste into a thick pastry dough.[4] Cambridgeport, Massachusetts–based Kennedy Biscuit Company purchased the Roser recipe[5] and started mass production. The first Fig Newtons were baked at the F. A. Kennedy Steam Bakery in 1891.[6] The product was named after the city of Newton, Massachusetts, and contrary to popular belief, has nothing to do with Sir Isaac Newton.[7][8]

The Kennedy Biscuit Company had recently become associated with the New York Biscuit Company, and the two merged to form Nabisco—after which, the fig rolls were trademarked as Fig Newtons.[9]

Since 2012, the "Fig" has been dropped from the product name.[10]

Varieties

As of 2012, Nabisco makes several varieties of the Newton, which, in addition to the original fig filling, include versions filled with apple cinnamon, strawberry, raspberry, and mixed berry.[11][12] The Fig Newton also is sold in a 100% whole-grain variety and a fat-free variety. Fig Newton Minis have also been introduced.[12] The fig bar is the company's third best-selling product, with sales of more than 700 million bars a year as of 2018.[13] In 2011, a crisp cookie was introduced in the United States named Newtons Fruit Thins, after being successfully marketed by Kraft in Canada as Lifestyle Selections, a variety of Peek Freans.[11]

  • The snack is referred to by name in the film Crime School (1938). In the scene "Spike", who is one of the Dead End Kids portrayed by Leo Gorcey, is accused of stealing Fig Newtons by the corner store clerk.
  • The snack is referred to by name in the 1961 film The Parent Trap. The scene involves the twin sisters, Susan and Sharon, who have been relegated to a cabin together at sleep-away camp. At one point, Susan offers Sharon a snack with the line, "Wanna Fig Newton?"
  • The snack is referred to by name in the 1963 film Hud. The scene where title character Hud is driving Alma home with groceries she asks him "Hey, wanna Fig Newton?"
  • In Season 3, Episode 10 of the Big Bang Theory "The Gorilla Experiment", which aired on December 7, 2009, Penny asks: "Is that why they're called Fig Newtons?", to which Sheldon replies: "No. Fig Newtons are named after a small town in Massachusetts."
  • In Season 5, Episode 20 of M*A*S*H entitled "Hepatitis", Colonel Potter and Hawkeye are seen eating Fig Newtons while drinking Scotch.
  • In chapter 5 of Beverly Cleary's book, Beezus and Ramona, the girls' mother provides plates of Fig Newtons for some small children who are attending a party in the basement. Ramona grosses out the visitors by declaring, "Those cookies are filled with worms. Chopped-up worms!" And they all believe her. [15]
  • A box of Fig Newtons can be seen, in cartoon form, in Mickey's Surprise Party (1939) a theatrical advertisement/cartoon short produced by Walt Disney Productions for Nabisco. The film ends with Minnie and Mickey enjoying a box of Fig Newtons, their favorite, and Minnie kissing Mickey all over his face before fading out to "The End" and then the Nabisco logo.

References
  1. "Fig Newton: History and Invention of the Cookies". thoughtco.com. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  2. shemakesitclap (2013-10-25), How It's Made Fig Newton Cookies - Discovery Channel Science, retrieved 2017-02-10
  3. "National Fig Newton Day". CNN. Archived 2014-12-29 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Yvan Lemoine (16 December 2010). FoodFest 365!: The Officially Fun Food Holiday Cookbook. Adams Media. pp. 12–. ISBN 978-1-4405-0619-2. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  5. Smith, Andrew F. (2004). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America: A–J. Oxford University Press. p. 319. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  6. Evan Morris (2 November 2004). From Altoids to Zima: the surprising stories behind 125 brand names. Simon and Schuster. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-7432-5797-8. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  7. Voorhees, Don (2004). Why Do Donuts Have Holes? Fascinating Facts About What We Eat and Drink. MJF Books. p. 148. ISBN 978-1-56731-734-3. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  8. Moravek, Natalie. "Nabisco". The History of Candy Making in Cambridge. Cambridge Historical Society. Archived from the original on 11 January 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  9. "The Machine That Made Fig Newtons Possible".
  10. Spiegel, Alison (January 16, 2015). "Fig Newtons No Longer Exist. They're Just Newtons Now". The Huffington Post. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  11. Andrew Adam Newman (April 30, 2012). "Reminders That a Cookie Goes Beyond the Fig". The New York Times. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  12. "Official Fig Newton product listing with nutritional information". Nabiscoworld.com. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
  13. www.heraldmailmedia.com Have a rootin' tootin' celebration of Fig Newton Day, January 10, 2018, Lisa McCoy , Herald Mail Media
  14. "Talladega Nights: The 10 Funniest Ricky Bobby Quotes". ScreenRant. 2019-03-02. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
  15. http://bumbleshoot.tripod.com/klickitat/bnr5.html
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