Shrek-Inspired Foods You Might Have Forgotten About

"Shrek" is a powerhouse of a franchise with four full-length movies in the main series, as well as two spin-offs featuring the feline character Puss in Boots. According to The New York Times, the film project had a rocky start; not only did a major role in the film have to be recast, but employees didn't support the project and were quitting. Despite initial setbacks, "Shrek" turned into a smashing success. Now, more than 20 years after the release of the first film, the series has taken on a life of its own and become the basis for endless jokes and memes on the internet (via The Atlantic).

Who knows why "Shrek" has become a cultural touchstone? Maybe it is the lack of traditional heroes that speaks to generations, or maybe it is pop-culture comedy. But one thing is certain: The food marketing team for "Shrek” wasted no time in capitalizing on the success of the film. From the odd to the outlandish, we have compiled a list of all the Shrek-inspired edible treats you might have forgotten about.

We have to hand it to the DreamWorks marketing team for this one, as they went all-out on the Shrek Marshmallows. Unlike some of the Shrek-inspired foods that are just a different color or shape, the Shrek Marshmallows, which were produced in 2010 as part of the franchise's fourth installment, are creative and sound gross enough to be good. To start with, the marshmallows were produced by Circus Peanuts maker Spangler Candy and came in the very on-brand bright green color we have all come to associate with our favorite ogre. 

Instead of being the more traditional square or cylindrical form, each marshmallow is shaped like the title character Shrek's head. The "swamp apple" marshmallows are finished off with a sour apple flavor, which we can only assume is in reference to Shrek's personality. Thankfully, the ears on these Shrek heads do not have his wax build-up that was featured in the first film.

In 2010, the "Shrek" franchise partnered with frozen meal company Kid Cuisine to offer "Shrek-ified" meals. Kid Cuisine is no stranger to the child marketing game. The meals feature traditional kid foods — all of which are "kid approved" – and come in brightly colored packaging (via Kid's Cuisine).

For its partnership with Shrek, the brand created a meal with chicken nuggets in the shape of Shrek's head, gooey Shrek-shaped mac and cheese, and buggy "swamp pudding" for dessert. The latter is probably something that would only appeal to a child who loves a movie because otherwise, it seems entirely unappetizing. Oh, and let us not forget the best part, as advertised on the box: The meal turns your tongue green.

Of course, what would all this marketing be without some kind of contest? To make kids even more likely to ask their parents for something that includes "swamp pudding," the meal came with a bonus. If the Kid Cuisine included a green tray, the child won a trip to meet the ogre himself.

"Shrek" is a film that features a whole host of mythical creatures, including dragons. It was only a matter of time before someone from a marketing team saw the obvious food tie-in: hot sauce. Dragon Hot Sauce was produced as part of a partnership between DreamWorks and FYE, simply as a branded item and not in promotion of any specific movie. It is a salsa verde hot sauce that uses jalapeno and serrano peppers as its spicy base. While Dragon is a clear 10, the salsa is a 6/10 on the heat scale. The hot sauce is both vegan and all-natural. 

Dragon is a strong, complex character, and we hope for the same from her hot sauce. In addition to peppers, the hot sauce is made with tomatillos as well as some hickory-smoked salt for an added kick. While the bar is not always set high for movie tie-in products, it is clear the people at FYE went out of their way to make a product that both fit the theme and is tasty. Commenters on Reddit were presently surprised by it, and encouraged others to go out and try it. One commenter noted, "No heat to speak of, but it's pretty tasty!"

Summers are hot, and when you are an ogre living in a swamp making major motion picture blockbusters, you need a way to cool down. That must be why DreamWorks partnered with Nestle to produce two different popsicles for "Shrek the Third" in 2007.

The first was a mixed box of Shrek Push-Up pops. Each Push-Up came in one of three combinations of the colors blue, green, and orange. The pops consisted of swirls of fruity sherbet in tube form and the three flavors were named after characters in the movie: Shrek Ogre Apple, Puss & Boots Orange, and Donkey Berry. 

In addition to Push-Up pops, Nestle also released Shrek Swamp Pops, which were popsicles in heart, moon, star, and square shapes. While the name may have you imagining mucky swamp water, the ice pops were available in four fun and fruity flavors, including Shrek Ogre Cherry, Donkey Berry, Sour Puss & Boots Orange, and Fiona Princess Punch.

If breakfast cereal is not your thing, do not worry, there were once plenty of warm Shrek-inspired breakfast foods to be had. For "Shrek 2," Pillsbury came out with an ogre-tastic Shrek Toaster Strudel. According to Mr. Breakfast, a press release from Toaster Strudel described three flavors: ogre cherry with ogre icing, Shrek wildberry with ogre icing, and chocolate sludge with chocolate icing. While we don't know what kind of cherries ogres eat, the box states that the ogre cherry filling contains real fruit, as well as other natural flavors. Harkening back to the standby Shrek-branded color, the frosting is bright green.

If this review from SnackGator of Trix Toaster Strudel is any indication, the pastry was flaky and delicious, but the flavors may not have been exactly what you were expecting. Still, they were unique and made for a fun breakfast. Like many of these ogre-ific breakfast treats, Shrek Toaster Strudel is no longer on the shelves. 

Baked cheese snacks hold an important place in the snack world for Americans. It is no wonder that when "Shrek” went out for branded promotions, the franchise hit the cheezie market fast and hard.

Kraft offered a Shrek version of the classic Cheese Nips, which were baked cheese snacks that came in the shape of your favorite Shrek character. Not to be outdone by another branch of its parent company, for the third installment of the "Shrek" franchise, Kellogg's produced a Shrek Cheez-it. Each box contained cheese crackers shaped like Shrek, Princess Fiona, Donkey, and Puss in Boots.

Last but certainly not least, Cheetos wanted in on the action. Since they couldn't make Shrek-shaped Cheetos, they went with a slightly different approach and made a Cheetos that turned the eater's tongue green. The front of the bag prominently features Chester Cheetah sticking out a bright green tongue, while Shrek peaks over the brand's logo. We don't know what the market was for green-tongue Cheetos, but it must not have been very big as they have also been discontinued.

Have you ever sat down to a movie, grabbed a bag of popcorn, and thought to yourself, "I wish this were green?" Well, that is exactly what the people at Pop Secret thought you wanted, so they teamed up with DreamWorks and made Shrek popcorn. The butter-flavored popcorn came in microwavable bags. So far so good. But then comes the color. The popcorn was a light and unappealing shade of green, the go-to color for the marketing team when it came to Shrek-inspired foods. But as any toddler will tell you, green foods are not the most appetizing. 

The popcorn was available for the second installment in the "Shrek" franchise, which was released in 2004, and this snack is definitely a product of that time. Sadly, the popcorn was discontinued and can no longer be enjoyed. However, if you'd like to see it again, this is a petition on Change.org to bring it back.