The Elusive Search for China’s Forbidden City Oreos
Chinese Oreos? They're a thing. And we know where to find them. Atlas Obscura traveler Sharyne Tu shares a moment from China: The Great Cuisines of the Middle Kingdom.
It began in the city of Qingdao when one of the travelers bought rose-flavored Oreos to share on the bus. It was such an interesting flavor that we looked it up. It turns out that Oreo makes a select line of cookies called Forbidden City, sold only in China. The flavors were sweet, savory, and very enticing: Lychee Rose Cake, Green Tea Cake, Red Bean Cake, Hawthorn Berry, Cantonese Barbeque Pork Pastry, and Spicy Pepper Pastry.
In each city we visited, we raided convenience stores and hunted for the special Oreos. In Qufu, our search produced a red bean flavor and nothing else. On our quests for these Oreos, we found other exciting snacks, too. We tried spicy ice cream cones, coriander pretzels, and red wine Pocky. There were also cool peach Snickers, which create an icy sensation in your mouth. Pumpkin Spice Lay's chips were not a hit. The taro flavored Lay’s weren’t too bad. (I still need to open the braised beef.) But the Forbidden City Oreos continued to elude us.
Then, alas! At our last stop in Guangzhou, our luck changed. There were Oreos! Big boxes and small boxes in every flavor. We were finally happy campers! I filled my return luggage with Oreo boxes.
By Nick Papa
I’m the editor of the Atlas Obscura trips blog. I talk to our trip leaders, travelers, and friends in the industry about how they explore the world’s wondrous places.
