It was a plain little under-the-radar cracker, but the quiet demise of Ak-mak has saddened fans far beyond its Central California birthplace.

Ak-Mak 100 Percent Whole Wheat Stone Ground Sesame Crackers. Photo by Nick Koon / Orange County Register. 

The crisp sesame cracker, made in the Fresno area for more than 70 years, has disappeared from store shelves and in recent weeks. The remains live, with no mention of the shutdown, but there has been a low buzz on social media from devotees realizing that Ak-mak is no more.

online platformsbakery’s website

Reached by the , Tanny Soojian — of the third of Ak-mak’s four generations of Armenian-American proprietors — reportedly said simply, “I got old and closed it.”

Fresno Bee

The family moved to California in 1936 and established a bakery specializing in Armenian breads and crackers, the company’s website says. The Ak-mak cracker’s selling point was its simplicity — whole wheat, low fat, made with honey rather than refined sugar. A paean on the describes it as “sturdy” and “nourishing,” and (though exaggerating its longevity) sums up: “That Ak-Mak has remained popular for centuries will only surprise people who haven’t had it.”

foodie website Epicurious