Idaho's got it bad for cookies

Obsession is never a good thing. But if there’s one that’s universally appealing, it’s gotta be cookies.

While my particular weakness is pie, when hubby brought home Bear Paw cookies on Friday (wholly apropos of National Cookie Day) I proved utterly weak in the face of temptation, devouring them in very unladylike, Cookie Monster fashion.

Living in Idaho — yeah, that's my excuse. Ours is the second most cookie-crazed state in the nation, with a big penchant for oatmeal raisin and snickerdoodles, according to new market research from TOP Data.

Only Utah has us beat in its overall cookie consumption, and Oregon follows close on our crumbly heels. Comparing the most cookie-obsessed states to the least you get the idea climate has something to do with it.

Those with the least interest in those little circles from heaven are all down south: South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Texas (they're nuts about pecan pie, though), with Louisiana ranking dead last.

Even in their cases we’re still talking about a lot of cookies. There’s no better comfort food (Oreos, baby, yeah), so it won’t be a surprise that this rather depressing year saw a 25 percent rise in cookie demand.

Ninety-five percent of Americans eat cookies at least once a month, and one in five eat at least three a day on average, according to the report at Topagency.com/report/cookie-report/.

How 'bout a few more cookie facts from a variety of sources:

·Christmas cookies, made with gingerbread, date back to medieval Europe.

·While cookies probably came to America from 17th century Dutch traders and the Dutch word koekje, meaning “little cake,” they date back at least to 7th century Persia (now Iran), one of the first countries to cultivate sugar for baking.

·The first commercially made American cookie was the Animal Cracker in 1902.

·Fortune cookies aren’t Chinese, but an American invention from California.

·Nabisco first released the delectable and still best-selling Oreo in 1912, consumed in more than 100 countries. Americans buy the most, spending about $550 million annually on Oreos alone. Chips Ahoy are the second-best sellers.

Num num.

“Today, me will live in the moment, unless it is unpleasant. In which case me will eat a cookie.” – Cookie Monster

Sholeh Patrick is an Oreo-eating columnist for the Hagadone News Network with no regrets. Contact her at Sholeh@cdapress.com.