Twinkie: Difference between revisions
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In the 1972 episode "Sammy's Visit" of All in the Family, Edith Bunker gave Sammy Davis Jr. a Twinkie. |
In the 1972 episode "Sammy's Visit" of All in the Family, Edith Bunker gave Sammy Davis Jr. a Twinkie. |
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In the 1984 movie "Ghostbusters", Igon states the amount of psyco-kenetic engery in New York |
In the 1984 movie "Ghostbusters", Igon states the amount of psyco-kenetic engery in New York after this morning's sample is equal to a Twinkie which is 35 feet long and 600 pounds. "That's a big Twinkie"!! |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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Revision as of 18:39, 11 June 2011
Twinkies are an American snack cake made and distributed by Hostess Brands. They are marketed as a "Golden Sponge Cake with Creamy Filling".
History
Twinkies were invented in River Forest[1] , IL in 1930 by James Alexander Dewar, a baker for the Continental Baking Company. Realizing that several machines used to make cream-filled strawberry shortcake sat idle when strawberries were out of season, Dewar conceived a snack cake filled with banana cream, which he dubbed the Twinkie. During World War II, bananas were rationed and the company was forced to switch to vanilla cream. This change proved popular, and banana-cream Twinkies became a part of history. The original flavor was occasionally found in limited-time promotions, but the company used vanilla cream for most Twinkies.[2] In 1988, Fruit and Cream Twinkies were introduced with a strawberry filling swirled into the cream, however, the product was soon dropped.[3] Vanilla's dominance over Twinkie flavoring would be challenged in 2005, following a month-long promotion of the movie King Kong. Hostess saw its Twinkie sales rise 20 percent during the promotion, and in 2007 permanently restored the banana-cream Twinkie to its snack lineup.[4]
Deep-fried Twinkie
A deep-fried Twinkie involves freezing the cake, dipping it into batter, and deep-frying it to create a variation on the traditional snack cake. It was described by a The New York Times story in this way: "Something magical occurs when the pastry hits the hot oil. The creamy white vegetable shortening filling liquefies, impregnating the sponge cake with its luscious vanilla flavor... The cake itself softens and warms, nearly melting, contrasting with the crisp, deep-fried crust in a buttery and suave way. The pièce de résistance, however, is a ruby-hued berry sauce, adding a tart sophistication to all that airy sugary goodness".[5] The Texas State Fair had introduced the fried Twinkie to great popular acclaim, and the notion spread to other state fairs across the U.S., as well as some establishments that specialize in fried foods.[6] Fried Twinkies are sold throughout the U.S. in fairs as well as ball games.
Cultural references
Twinkie defense
The Twinkie defense is a derogatory term for a criminal defendant's claim that some unusual factor (such as allergies, coffee, nicotine, or sugar) diminished the defendant's responsibility for the alleged crime. The term arose from Herb Caen's description of the trial of Dan White, who was convicted in the fatal shootings of San Francisco mayor George Moscone and city supervisor Harvey Milk. During the trial, psychiatrist Martin Blinder testified that White had suffered from depression, causing diminished capacity. As an example of this, he mentioned that White, formerly a health food advocate, had begun eating junk food. Twinkies, specifically, were never actually mentioned in the case.
Experimentation
A website entitled the T.W.I.N.K.I.E.S. Project[7] was launched in 2000 by Christopher Scott Gouge and Todd William Stadler.[8] This site chronicles a series of regimented scientific experiments testing, amongst others, the insulative, electrically resistive, radioactive, and gravitational properties of the "Standard Twinkie".
Shelf life
A common urban legend claims that Twinkies have a shelf life of forever, or can last for a relatively long time of ten, fifty, or one hundred years due to chemicals used in production.[9] While this urban legend is false, they can last a relatively long time (25[10] days or more) because Twinkies are made without unstabilized dairy products or eggs and thus spoil slower than most bakery items.[11]
Twinkie diet
In 2010 a college professor named Mark Haub went on a "convenience store" diet consisting mainly of Twinkies, Oreos, and Doritos in an attempt to demonstrate to his students "that in weight loss, pure calorie counting is what matters most—not the nutritional value of the food". He lost 27 pounds over a 2 month period, returning his BMI to within normal range.[12]
In the 1972 episode "Sammy's Visit" of All in the Family, Edith Bunker gave Sammy Davis Jr. a Twinkie.
In the 1984 movie "Ghostbusters", Igon states the amount of psyco-kenetic engery in New York after this morning's sample is equal to a Twinkie which is 35 feet long and 600 pounds. "That's a big Twinkie"!!
See also
Literature
- Steve Ettlinger, Twinkie, Deconstructed, Plume, 2008 ISBN 0452289289 – Twinkie Deconstructed site
Notes
- ^ Biemer, John. "Homeowner Discovers That Mr. Twinkie Slept There". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/twinkie.htm
- ^ Continental Baking Company (Copyright 1988). "Fruit and Cream Twinkies commercial". Continental Baking Company. Retrieved 2011-03-08.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Shepherd, Lauren (June 13, 2007). "Hostess selling banana-creme Twinkies". USA Today. Retrieved 2011-03-08.
- ^ "Fry That Twinkie, But Hold the Chips". The New York Times. 2002-05-15.
- ^ "New junk food fad: Deep-fried Twinkies". CNN. 2002-09-18.
- ^ http://www.twinkiesproject.com/
- ^ http://www.toddstadler.com/
- ^ Urban Legends Reference Pages: Twinkies
- ^ According to research at the Education Laboratory School in Honolulu, HI
- ^ Sagon, Candy (2005-04-13). "Twinkies, 75 Years And Counting (washingtonpost.com)". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2010-05-28.
- ^ "Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 pounds". CNN. 2010-11-08.
