Cadbury Creme Eggs debuted in 1963 as “Fry’s Creme Eggs”

This iconic candy first hit the U.K. market as Fry’s Creme Egg. In 1919, John Cadbury merged his chocolate company with competitor Joseph Fry’s chocolate company, but J.S. Fry & Sons continued to operate as a subsidiary under the Cadbury umbrella. Eventually rebranded as Cadbury Creme Eggs in 1971, the chocolate confections are incredibly popular at Easter, with 3.7 Cadbury Creme Eggs sold per second.

The “yolk” in a Cadbury Creme Egg is liquid fondant

What sets a Cadbury Creme Egg apart from other popular Easter candy is its super-sweet center. Sometimes jokingly referred to as goo, a Creme Egg’s interior is liquid fondant meant to look like the golden yolk and the white albumen of a real egg. (You’ll find the same liquid fondant inside cherry cordials.)

U.K.-made Cadbury Creme Eggs are banned in the U.S.

The Hershey Company owns an exclusive license to produce Cadbury Creme Eggs stateside, which means U.K.-made Creme Eggs are not allowed to be distributed in the U.S. This may not seem like a big deal, but for chocolate enthusiasts, there is an ocean of difference between the two due to ingredient differences.

Why fans say Cadbury Creme Eggs taste better in the U.K.

The first ingredient in a U.K. Creme Egg is milk. In the U.S., it’s sugar. This results in a U.K. Cadbury Creme Egg having higher fat content, which Cadbury connoisseurs argue results in a chocolate shell that’s richer and creamier. Critics of Hershey-produced Cadbury Creme Eggs claim that the stateside chocolate has a stale aftertaste and waxy texture.

There are different flavors and sizes of Cadbury Creme Eggs

In the U.S., there are three standard flavors: creme egg, caramel egg and chocolate creme egg. But Cadbury Eggs come in other varieties, too. Like Cadbury Mini Creme Eggs (a smaller version of the standard Creme Egg) and Cadbury Mini Eggs (a hard-shelled chocolate candy). You’ll find even more flavors abroad. For example, Australia has had Cadbury egg fillings like peppermint, salted caramel, Turkish delight and pineapple.

The U.K. Cadbury Creme Egg recipe changed in 2015

After acquiring Cadbury, Mondelez International changed the classic U.K. recipe due to “economic factors.” Instead of a chocolate shell made of Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate, it’s now a “standard cocoa mix chocolate.” Adding to the controversy, the number of Creme Eggs sold in a standard pack in the U.K. was reduced from six eggs to five.

The famous Cadbury bunny commercial aired in 1983

In what is now a nostalgic TV commercial, a clucking bunny hops aside to reveal a basket of Cadbury Creme Eggs. In the ’90s, a new spin on the commercial showed a menagerie of animals auditioning for the Cadbury bunny role, including a lion, tortoise and pig. Pet owners today can submit their furry, feathery, scaly or fishy friend to the official Cadbury Bunny Tryouts. Louie the Raccoon won the title in 2024.

Cadbury Creme Eggs aren’t sold year-round

Despite their popularity, Cadbury Creme Eggs aren’t always available on store shelves. The Cadbury Creme Egg season only lasts from New Year’s to Easter Sunday. In the late 1980s, Cadbury experimented with making the Creme Eggs a year-round treat, but sales slumped, so the company went back to selling the candy only at Easter.

The world’s largest Cadbury Creme Egg weighs nearly 100 pounds

In 2025, Cadbury hatched a plan to create the world’s largest Creme Egg. Weighing in at 99.2 pounds, it’s roughly three feet tall and was unveiled at Cadbury World near Birmingham, England. Cadbury chocolatiers say it took them about two and a half days to handcraft the showstopping chocolate egg.

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The Filet-O-Fish debuted in 1965 for $0.29

McDonald’s franchise owner Lou Groen saw sales plummet every Friday, a night most restaurants see major profit. In 1962, his McDonald’s restaurant was in a majority-Catholic area during a time when most Catholics didn’t eat meat on Fridays other than fish. He pitched the idea of a fried halibut sandwich to Ray Croc, the man who launched McDonald’s as a corporation. Croc was doubtful but agreed. That first Friday, the Filet-O-Fish sold enough to cement its place on the menu.

McDonald’s uses only Alaskan pollock

In 2013, McDonald’s switched from cod to Alaskan pollock. Fortunately, Alaskan pollock tastes similar to cod—both are whitefish with a mild flavor, perfect with a slice of cheese and tartar sauce.

The “Hula Burger” was almost McDonald’s first meatless option

Like the iconic Chicken McNuggets, which weren’t originally supposed to be made with chicken, there was almost a different meatless option on the menu. When Lou Groen suggested adding a fish sandwich to the McDonald’s menu, Ray Croc had already been thinking about a meatless option—the “Hula Burger.” His sandwich featured a slice of grilled pineapple paired with cheese. In the name of friendly competition, Croc pitted his idea against Groen’s. Whichever sandwich sold the most on a Friday would be permanently added to the menu. The Filet-O-Fish won 350 to 6.

The Alaskan pollock in Filet-O-Fish is surprisingly fresh

Mike Haracz, a former McDonald’s corporate chef, explains on TikTok that pollock is caught, then quickly filleted and flash-frozen on board the fishing vessel. He adds that the Filet-O-Fish is “whole muscle,” not protein that’s been chopped and formed into a shape like McNuggets.

Filet-O-Fish buns are steamed

You’ve probably noticed that the tartar sauce is always off-center. But have you also noticed that the buns on a Filet-O-Fish seem softer and fluffier than a Big Mac’s? To get the texture of the Filet-O-Fish bun just right, a McDonald’s worker steams it for 11 seconds, as shared by a McDonald’s employee-run TikTok account, @essentialmcdonalds.

Canadians could briefly buy McDonald’s tartar sauce by the bottle

In 2017, McDonald’s rolled out a line of bottled condiments in Canada: Big Mac sauce, McChicken mayonnaise and, of course, the Filet-O-Fish tartar sauce. Though they didn’t have staying power on grocery store shelves, McDonald’s tartar sauce remains a quintessential part of the Filet-O-Fish experience. It’s made with real egg yolks, pickle relish and onions for that classic tang.

Filet-O-Fish is one of the healthier menu options

No one pulls into the McDonald’s drive-thru expecting a super healthy meal, but some menu items are lighter than others. Where does Filet-O-Fish fall? This fish sandwich has 380 calories, putting it in the same category as a McDouble and McChicken (390 calories each). For comparison, a Quarter Pounder with Cheese has 520 calories.

The Filet-O-Fish has not gotten smaller

As McDonald’s prices have increased, so have rumors of shrinkflation, which is when a company keeps a product at the same price but decreases its size. Some customers say the Filet-O-Fish is much smaller than it used to be. Mike Haracz explained this on TikTok, too, saying the Filet-O-Fish is still the standard size. (He also recommends swapping the tartar sauce for the Big Mac sauce.)

There are more fish sandwich options at McDonald’s in other countries

In Japan, McDonald’s sells the Ebi Filet-O, a fried shrimp patty topped with lettuce and Thousand Island dressing. The Filet-O-Fish is available there, too—it’s so popular that it also appears on the breakfast menu. Up in Canada, restaurants briefly sold the McLobster, the Golden Arches’ take on the classic lobster roll.

Next Up: See how the Filet-O-Fish stacks up against other fast-food fish sandwiches.

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Not Every Goldfish Has a Smile

Even though Goldfish are “the snack that smiles back,” not every cracker has a smile. The smiley faces were added to the crackers in 1997, according to the Campbell’s Company, and only about 40% of the Goldfish crackers in any bag have smiles.

The Fish Shape Was Inspired By the Zodiac

The original creator of Goldfish, a Swiss biscuit manufacturer named Oscar Kambly, wanted to invent a new cracker for his wife’s birthday. He took inspiration from her astrological sign, Pisces, whose symbol is a fish.

Kambly decided to make fish-shaped crackers, and Goldfischli, aka Goldfish, was born.

Julia Child Was Obsessed with the Crackers

Before they became a staple for kids, Goldfish crackers were marketed as a bar and party snack for adults. (The brand recently tried to revisit this with its Chilean Sea Bass crackers.) Julia Child herself offered Goldfish as appetizers at dinner parties and Thanksgiving. She liked pairing the salty, fish-shaped crackers with her signature cocktail: the upside-down martini.

Goldfish Were a Swiss Import

On a visit to Switzerland, Pepperidge Farm founder Margaret Rudkin tried Kambly’s fish-shaped crackers. She loved them so much that she struck a deal with the company to bring Goldfish crackers home to the U.S. (Margaret’s European travels also inspired Milano cookies.)

Goldfish Started with Five Flavors

When Goldfish were first introduced to the U.S. market in 1962, they only came in five flavors: lightly salted (original), cheese, barbecue, pizza and smoky. Cheddar, the most popular Goldfish cracker flavor, didn’t hit store shelves until 1966.

Head to any store today, and you’ll find limited edition flavors like Spicy Dill Pickle and Butterbeer Grahams and modern classics like pizza and pretzel.

Astronauts Eat Goldfish in Space

In 1988, Goldfish crackers blasted into orbit as a snack for the astronauts onboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.

The Colors Are Natural

The multicolored Goldfish crackers are made with all plant-based ingredients. Red crackers use a mix of beet juice concentrate and paprika extracted from sweet red peppers. The green color comes from watermelon and huito juice concentrates.

The Goldfish Mascot Has a Name

The friendly fish wearing the sunglasses is named Finn. In the UK, they take things a step further, and you’ll see Finz! on the packaging instead of Goldfish.

Americans Eat a Lot of Goldfish

2.91 million Americans consumed 8 or more bags in 2020, according to Statista.

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