10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Goldfish Crackers
Updated: Jan. 05, 2022
Goldfish crackers are simply irresistible. Get to know more about America's favorite smiling, fish-shape snack crackers with these fun facts.
Only some smile
They’re known as “the snack that smiles back,” but only about 40 percent of the Goldfish crackers in any bag actually have smiles.
Americans enjoy about 150 billion Goldfish every year
If strung them all from head to tail, they would reach around the world nearly 60 times. That’s a lot of crackers!
They’ve traveled to space
Goldfish crackers blasted into space as a snack onboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1988.
Goldfish colors are made using plant-based ingredients
No artificial colors here! Red crackers are colored using a mix of beet juice concentrate and paprika extracted from sweet red peppers. The green color comes from watermelon and huito (a South American fruit) juice concentrates.
They’re super cheesy
Real cheddar cheese is used in the beloved cheddar-flavored crackers. If you love cheese as much as we do, check out these yummy mac ‘n’ cheese recipes.
The friendly fish on the packaging has a name
The smiling fish wearing the sunglasses is named Finn.
A horoscope sign was the inspiration for their shape
Goldfish crackers got their shape because the creator, a Swiss man named Oscar J. Kambly, wanted to make a snack for his wife. Her horoscope sign was Pisces, whose symbol is a fish. He chose the goldfish shape because it was a symbol of luck.
See what cute kitchen accessories are in the stars for you!
Julia Child was a fan
It’s said that Julia Child used to serve Goldfish crackers as an appetizer with cocktails at her dinner parties. Want to learn other ways you can delight your guests with Julia Child-inspired foods? Here are some recipes inspired by Julia Child that you can try at home.
More than just cheddar
There are tons of Goldfish cracker options to choose from including Flavor Blasted, Grahams, Pretzel, Whole Grain and more. For more flavor fun, try making this Taco Seasoned Snack Mix.
There’s a special ingredient inside
If you’ve never looked at the ingredient list on a bag of Goldfish crackers, you’re in for a treat. You’ll see that each bag is “made with smiles.” No wonder they’re so fun to eat!
