If you've never heard of a Tim Tam, you've been missing out. The Australian cookies* are a chocoholic's fever dream — a chocolate sandwich cookie with a creme filling, covered in more chocolate — and they're now available everywhere in the United States. (Previously, you might come across them in the international food section of select stores, but it could be pretty hit-or-miss.) Whether you're a total newbie or a diehard Tim Tam Slammer, here's what you should know before your next snack break.
1. They're Basically Australia's Oreo.
Tim Tams are so popular in Oz that one out of every two households has bought a pack, according to the brand. Considering the country/continent has 7.76 million homes, it also means the fans are pretty frequent buyers: Tim Tam sells about 45 million packs a year.
2. They're Named After A Horse.
No, really. The cookies hit stores in 1964, and were named after the winning horse at the 1958 Kentucky Derby.
3. There's A Special Way To Eat Them.
Sure, you could just bite into one as you normally would, but true aficionados boast about the Tim Tam Slam — the process of biting off each end of the rectangular cookie, dipping it in coffee or hot chocolate, and sucking the drink through the cookie. The Tim Tam will absorb the liquid, softening it like you would dunking an Oreo in milk — and infusing it with coffee (or even more cocoa) flavor.
4. They've Got A Serious Celebrity Following.
Hugh Jackman's such a fan he actually crammed a suitcase full and brought them to an interview with Oprah Winfrey, where he gave every guest a pack. He isn't the only devotee — Margot Robbie Instagrammed them, Kim Kardashian's raved about them, and Taylor Swift's deemed them "life-changing." But the best reaction we've seen is when Jennifer Love Hewitt was surprised with a box of them, and demonstrated exactly how to do the aforementioned Tim Tam Slam:
5. They Come in Tons of Flavors.
In Australia, Tim Tam's classic flavors are the original chocolate-on-chocolate, dark chocolate, caramel, white chocolate, and an extra rich, double-coated chocolate. They offer all kinds of limited-edition flavors though, like salted caramel and vanilla, Black Forest cake, and coconut and lychee.
6. There Are Four Kinds Sold in The U.S.
Stateside, you can score four varieties: original, dark chocolate, caramel and dark chocolate mint. The last one tastes like two Thin Mints fused together with a chocolatey creme filling.
7. There's Only One Place Where You Can Find Cheese Tim Tams.
That'd be in Indonesia, in case you're curious.
8. Two Alcohol-Infused Flavors Caused Quite The Controversy.
Shortly after Tim Tam came out with Kahlua and Tia Maria (a liqueur made using Jamaican coffee beans) flavors, the Australian Drug Foundation criticized the release, stating that the treats would "familiarize children with the taste of alcohol way before they need to think about drinking alcohol," according to an Australian Associated Press (AAP) article.
The cookies, or bikkies — as they're known in Australia — contain trace amounts of alcohol, and an Arnott's spokeswoman argued they weren't targeted toward children; they were marketed to women between the ages of 20 to 45 (the legal drinking age in Oz is 18). "You would need to consume your body weight of biscuits every hour to reach a blood-alcohol content of .05," the brand representative told the AAP.
9. There's A Tool That Can Help You Track Down A Pack.
As of Australia Day, Tim Tams are now available in grocery stores nationwide, but if you're having trouble finding the flavor you're craving, the brand has your back. It came out with this tracking tool so you can type in your address and find the shop nearest you. No hunting, no low-blood-sugar-induced meltdowns. You're welcome.
*We know, we know. If you're in Australia, they're not cookies, they're biscuits, and the company's U.S. campaign is all about how they're not cookies, they're Tim Tams. But, for the sake of our largely U.S. audience, we're calling them cookies.
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