Candy Corn Oreos Launch Today (and Other Types of Oreo Lunacy)

Kraft Foods Company

Candy Corn Oreos: Love 'em or leave 'em?

Quick! What's the one candy that's been hated by children since the beginning of time? That's right, kiddies: candy corn.

These tasteless bits of wax and sugar have long been the stuff of childhood nightmares. Why these candies are still around is a mystery, because they seem to be sold only once a year to senior citizens who unwittingly throw them into the trick-or-treat bags of young witches and goblins along with equally inedible pennies.

So when the makers of Oreo, the best-loved and best-known cookie on the planet, decided to come up with a limited-edition flavor, it's kind of a disconnect that they would choose candy corn as their flavor of choice. We can think of only two possible reasons:

1. The candy corn lobby shelled out a ton of money in the hopes that some of that Oreo magic would rub off on them.

2. The Oreo research and development team found that its first choice for a new Oreo flavor -- liver and Brussels sprouts swirl -- proved even less popular in focus groups.

Believe it or not, this isn't the first time Oreo has been to the weird-flavor rodeo. Kraft Foods, owner of Nabisco, has long been marketing special regional Oreo flavors to other countries. Here are our favorites:

Kraft Foods Company

In China, kids are treated to an after-school snack of green-tea Oreos. 

Kraft Foods Company

Indonesia gets blueberry ice-cream Oreos in an attractive shade of lavender.