Moon Pie and its Copies
A moon pie or MoonPie
is a confection, popular in parts of the United States, which consists of
two round graham cracker cookies, with marshmallow filling in the center,
dipped in a flavored coating. The snack is often associated with the cuisine of
the American South where they are traditionally accompanied by an RC Cola.
Today, MoonPies are made by the Chattanooga Bakery in Chattanooga, TN.
The traditional pie is
approximately four inches (100 mm) in diameter. A smaller version exists
(mini MoonPie) that is approximately half the size, and a Double-Decker MoonPie
of the traditional diameter features a third cookie and attendant layer of
marshmallow. The four main flavors are chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and
banana. Double Decker MoonPies also come in lemon and orange; MoonPie Crunch
comes only in peanut butter or mint. In 2014, a salted caramel flavor was
introduced.
History
MoonPies have been made daily at
the Chattanooga Bakery since the incorporation of MoonPie on April 29, 1917.
Earl Mitchell Junior said his father came up with the idea for MoonPies when he
asked a Kentucky
coal miner what kind of snack he would like to eat, and the miner requested
something with graham cracker and marshmallow. Popular folklore, repeated and
encouraged by the Chattnooga Bakery itself, states the miner then asked the
snack be "as big as the moon," which inspired the name "moon
pie."
There is a custom for eating
MoonPies with RC Cola, although the origin of this is unknown. It is likely
that their inexpensive prices, combined with their larger serving sizes,
contributed to establishing this combination as the "working man's
lunch". The popularity of this combination was celebrated in a popular
song of the 1950s, by Big Bill Lister, "Gimmee an RC Cola and a Moon
Pie.". In 1973, NRBQ had a minor hit with the song, "An RC Cola and a
Moon Pie."
Since New Year's Eve 2008, the
city of Mobile, Alabama has been raising a 12-foot-tall
(3.7 m) lighted mechanical moon pie to celebrate the coming of the new
year. The giant banana colored MoonPie is raised by a crane to a height of 200
feet (61 m) as the clock strikes midnight. Also, the city had for the 2008
New Year's celebration the world's largest MoonPie baked for the occasion. It
weighed 55 pounds (25 kg) and contained 45,000 calories.
An annual RC & MoonPie
Festival is celebrated in Bell Buckle, Tennessee,
and a MoonPie Eating Contest is held in Bessemer,
Alabama.
On October 16, 2010, Sonya Thomas,
a competitive eater known as the "Black Widow," ate 38 MoonPies in
eight minutes in Caruthersville,
Missouri.
Newport, Tennessee held its first annual MoonPie Festival in May
2012.
Similar Products
In the northern areas of the U.S. a similar
product is called a "Scooter Pie" and there is also a single-cracker
marshmallow cookie called "Mallomars". Little Debbie also makes what
they call "Marshmallow Pies" which are nearly identical to the
Moonpies. In the United Kingdom,
Australia and Canada a similar product is called "Wagon
Wheels" and in Japan,
"Angel Pies".
Some South Korean and Taiwanese
companies produce "Choco pies", and in Mexico there are similar cookie
pies called "Mamut" (Spanish for "Mammoth", sold by Gamesa),
and "Rocko" (marketed by Marinela); there are several other minor
brands as well. In Turkey,
a similar pie is called "Halley". In Egypt, a similar pie is called
"Bimbo". In Argentina
a similar treat is "Alfajor", more than 20 brands marketed as
"Alfajitos" are very popular.
No comments:
Post a Comment