If you think a MoonPie is some new astrological term, you are incorrect. No, it's not like a cow pie! A MoonPie is a cookie, yes, and a southern
cookie to be exact. The famous MoonPie is made in Chattanooga, Tennessee and
has been the brunt of many jokes, while still being a great tasting cookie!
The MoonPie originated in 1917. As legend has it, a
bakery salesman was delivering goods to a company store that was frequented by
miners. The miners wanted food they could take with them and it had to be
filling and big. As an example of the size they wanted, the miner held out his
hands framing the moon and said that was the size! That was how the MoonPie was
born and the recipe hasn't changed from day one.
A MoonPie consists of two cookies (or more). They
are not graham cracker, but they are cookies with a flavoring added so that
they have the taste of a graham cracker cookie. This delicious cookie has a
marshmallow center surrounded by the cookies and then dipped in chocolate. Yum!
They also have some new coating flavors such as banana and orange. But the
chocolate covered MoonPie is the all time favorite for most folks.
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| Wow, a Triple Decker MoonPie! |
As far as the brunt of the jokes...it is said that
a southerner's lunch consists of a MoonPie and an RC Cola! Yes, you can still
buy RC Cola! And there is even a country song entitled, "Give me an RC
Cola and a MoonPie" that is as true today as it was when written in 1950.
MoonPies didn't just sit around the south in stores
and lunch buckets. They were shipped to our troops overseas during World War II and that tradition continues today. No wonder we are a nation of sweet-a-loics!
The MoonPie became bigger in the 1960's, as a third
cookie was added so that the package wouldn't slip through the cracks in the
vending machines that were gaining popularity back then. More cookie, more
marshmallow, more fun!
Don't fall of your chair laughing, but there are
one million MoonPies produced each day and they are distributed all over the
United States. What started out as a snack for hungry miners is still a
favorite with kids and adults all over.
Now you know what a
MoonPie really is!
Photo Property of
AbbyG
OMG! I grew up with these and never knew the history. Of course, they are real big in New Orleans at Mardi Gras time as that is one of the traditional treats that are thrown from the floats to the eager crowds!! Our term we used as kids was "can I have a R-o-C and a Moon Pie?". Not sure the the "o" came into play but it kinda rolls off your tongue better. There is a scene in the movie "Red" with Bruce Willis and John Malcovich where JM finds an old moon pie in a dresser drawer that has been there like 30 year and being that his character is so crazy, he eats it, much to the horror of another actor. But, according to JM, they never go bad! Think I'll stick to the fresh ones since they make plenty every day.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know they threw them out from the floats, very interesting!
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