Inventor of Cheez Doodles dies at age 90

Published 10:50 pm Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Morrie R. Yohai, the creator of the crunchy, finger-staining orange Cheez Doodles snack, has died of cancer at age 90, said his son, Robbie.

His father was always amused that people thought the cheddar cheese snack he produced in the Bronx was the highlight of his life, Robbie Yohai said. His father’s wide-ranging interests extended to Jewish mysticism and poetry, Yohai added.

But it’s Cheez Doodles that Morrie Yohai will be remembered for.

Yohai developed the small tubular snack at his Old London Foods factory in the 1950s, adapting a machine he used to make Dipsy Doodles rippled corn chips. He changed the machine to extrude liquefied cornmeal through a round pinhole.

The snack was coated with seasoning and cheddar cheese that colored hands bright orange. To make the Cheez Doodles healthier, they were baked, not fried.

Associated Press