[Photograph: Robyn Lee]

I've found a handful of people who understand my undying love for Vienna Fingers. I've definitely bonded over Mallomars and engaged in debate over Milanos (the best cookie or totally over-hyped?) But there's one cookie that seemed to find its way into everyone's lunch box. One cookie that's the Goldfish cracker of the sweets world, and that's the Oreo.

We'd like to take a minute to say thanks, Oreo. Since you bobbed around in our glasses of milk, you taught us lessons about the states of matter (transforming solids to liquid), dexterity and slight of hand (catching pieces of cookie before they sank to the bottom) and assertion of self identity (I'll eat my Oreo in two pieces, because that's how I like it, and that's OK.)

The days of the simple Oreo are long gone. There are now over 25 kinds of cookie, which makes preferences exponentially more variable. People put them in sundaes and use them as pie crusts. Yes, it's a mad Oreo world out there, and we're taking a week to investigate.

So dunkers, twisters, and everyone in between: we welcome you to Serious Eats: Oreo Week.