Get to know more about America's favorite fish-shaped snack with our trivia-worthy facts.
Why Goldfish Crackers Are Shaped Like Fish (and Other Fun Facts)
Updated on Mar. 11, 2025
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.)
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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.
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Astronauts Eat Goldfish in Space
In 1988, Goldfish crackers blasted into orbit as a snack for the astronauts onboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.
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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.
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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.
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Americans Eat a Lot of Goldfish
2.91 million Americans consumed 8 or more bags in 2020, according to Statista.
