Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Investigation: Thin Mints Look And Taste Different Around U.S.
It's that time of year again where Girl Scout cookies are on sale and we can't help but stock up on boxes of the sweet treats as if we're preparing for an apocalypse. And while we've been thinking that we have all been eating the same Thin Mints across the country, this bombshell just dropped: there are two different bakers making the cookies, and they don't all taste and look the same.
Some of the Girl Scout cookies even have different names, textures and calorie counts depending on which of the two bakers—Richmond, VA-based ABC Bakers or Louisville, KY's Little Brownie Bakers—that your regional Girl Scout troop chooses to get their goods from, according to the L.A. Times. Even though Los Angeles and Orange County aren't that far from each other, their bakers are different.
While the Thin Mints name stays the same regardless of the baker, there are different nuances in their tastes; ABC Bakers' Thin Mints are crunchier and mintier and Little Brown Bakers' are smoother and have a strong peppermint kick. They even look different, with one having a smoother chocolate coating, and the other is dotted with holes. While New Yorkers and folks in Chicago, IL may get Samoas, Houston, TX residents have Caramel deLites that differ in being more cookie than caramel and having less toasted coconut. Even Tagalongs that Angelenos are familiar with are called Peanut Butter Patties in Orlando, FL, which have less peanut butter layers.
We're not sure what sort of alternate universe we're living in, but we now have the urge to take a road trip to taste-test the other Girl Scout cookies we've been missing out on.
You can check out the Times' nifty interactive map here that shows which baker is making your local Girl Scout cookies.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
