Samoas v. Caramel deLites
We all know what the best kind of Girl Scout cookies are, but we can’t agree on what to call them. There seem to be many theories on why there are two different names. Myths: (1) East Coast v. West Coast (not true, I’ve eaten both cookies on the west coast); (2) Caramel deLites replaced Samoas for a more politically correct name (not true (as far as I can tell), I don’t know why it wouldn’t be politically correct to name a cookie after an island. Furthermore, I can’t find any evidence that that’s where the name came from. Even the Assistant Director of the Washington D.C. Girl Scout Council doesn’t know why they’re called Samoas.
The reason they have two different names is because they come from two different manufacturers: Little Brownie and ABC/Interbake. Each Girl Scout Council selects their own manufacturer, so it’s perfectly conceivable to see both types of cookies in the same national region.
If you must have your Samoas or Caramel deLites, but you happen to be in the opposite council area, you can always buy your cookies online. The Girl Scout national Board of Directors created a specific rule against online sales, but that hasn’t stopped online sales.
Our old friend the “idea / expression dichotomy” prevents recipes from having copyright protection (though they might have “thin” copyright protection on the actual sentences used to express the method). Thus, there’s nothing preventing you from making your own knock-off Samoas. (You can’t sell them or otherwise compete with the Girl Scouts though.)
In case you were wondering, someone has figured out how many cases of girl scout cookies will fit in your car.
Note: Yes I am aware that, technically “Thin Mints” are the most popular girl scout cookie.
More info on the official Girl Scout page.