Meaning
What does Oreo cow mean?
Oreo cow is the fun slang name of the traditional Scottish beef breed called Belted Galloway, because of the wide white belt on the middle of the otherwise black animal.
With this unique appearance, the breed reminds the term users of the famous black-and-white Oreo cookie.
Origin
What's the origin of Oreo cow?
The origin of the term is unclear, but Beef Today, Farm Journal Inc. in 1997 writes about Belted Galloways as follows: “a black cow with a white band that looks like an Oreo cookie with legs.”
The famous cookies are much older, as the first Oreo cookie was produced in 1912, at Chelsea Market Bakery, N.Y, U.S.
Spread & Usage
How did Oreo cow spread?
Thanks to the internet, the expression became more common and not only in agricultural journals and websites.
The first videos about “oreo cows” were uploaded on Youtube between 2010-2012 with thousands of views and the term is still present on social media platforms such as Reddit, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
A breeder ranch was established in Longview, Alberta (CA) under the name of Oreo Cattle Company in 2019.