Cheez Doodle creator Morrie Yohai dies at 90; made crunchy orange snack in NYC factory

Cheez Doodle creator dies in NY at 90

NEW YORK — The creator of Cheez Doodles, the crunchy, finger-staining orange snacks, has died.

Morrie Yohai (yoh-HEYE’) died July 27 at his home in Kings Point, N.Y., at the age of 90. His family says the cause was cancer.

Yohai developed the snack in the 1950s. The company already was selling Dipsy Doodles rippled corn chips, which were made with a machine that spit them out under pressure.

His son Robbie Yohai says his father applied a similar concept for Cheez Doodles, adapting the machine to extrude liquefied cornmeal into a tubular shape. The shapes were then coated with seasoning and cheese.

Robbie Yohai says his father was amused that people thought the snack was the highlight of his life. He said it was only one of many things his father did.