Power to the Peeps!
by Susan Davis on 04/09/09 at 1:03 pm
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A Wall O' Peeps
With Easter quickly approaching, it seems only fitting that this foodie examine a perennial candy favorite that is a springtime ritual. Few products have achieved the iconic status of PEEPS®, the yellow, chick-shaped marshmallow confection beloved by children and adults alike. Proudly manufactured by the family-owned Just Born Candy Company in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Peeps have fascinated consumers for years, yet little has changed since their introduction in the mid-1950s. Originally made by laboriously hand-squeezing marshmallow through pastry tubes, Just Born mechanized the 27-hour process and making a Peep now takes just six minutes to go from birth to cellophane-wrapped box.
Each year, the company estimates that over one billion Peeps roll off the candy line, finding themselves in nearly all Easter baskets throughout the country and making them the most popular non-chocolate candy in America. Over the years, the classic yellow chicks have been joined by bunnies, which are produced in five colors. A chocolate mousse variety was added this spring. Just Born also releases seasonal marshmallow treats for Valentine’s Day, Halloween and Christmas.
From Culinary Concoction to Pop Culture Icon
From a culinary standpoint, if you’ve never had an Easter Peep, well, you’re probably missing … nothing. At 32 calories, they’re a rather bland blob of stiff marshmallow with a crispy sugar coating. One is usually enough, unless they’re super fresh. But, consumers love them. Yet, the classic Peep has joined the pantheon of food items that have successfully transitioned to American pop culture icons, thanks to an incredibly savvy brand marketing campaign.
Milena DeLuca, a spokesperson for Just Born, says people eat Peeps in a variety of ways. “Fresh, stale, warm, microwaved, frozen, fricasseed, roasted and sometimes even as a pizza topping,” says DeLuca. “Many fans say Peeps are tastiest after they’ve hardened for two to three weeks.”
Scientists Intrigued with Peeps
Peeps have a cult following like no other food. They’ve even become the subjects of in-depth experiments at Atlanta’s Emory University , where scientists and researchers test their tolerance for a range of temperatures and have examined what happens to Peeps in a vacuum, in a hot tub, in liquid nitrogen, when electrocuted and when dunked in toxic liquids. They’ve even done research on the effects of smoking and alcohol on their little bodies.
“The newest craze,” according to DeLuca, “is Peeps jousting. To see two Peeps joust, insert a toothpick into the chest of each, place them 1½ toothpicks apart in a microwave, and nuke them for no more than 10 seconds.” Many Peeps jousting tournaments are documented on YouTube.
David Ottogalli, a Washington D.C. artist whose principal media is Peeps, believes their popularity stems from their simplicity. “Peeps are popular because of their form, color, texture and tastiness,” says Ottogalli. “Not to mention their versatility; you can eat them, smoosh them, melt them, freeze them … even spray-paint them.”
Peeps Diorama Contest in the News
Just Born is tolerant of all the Peep hype and supports a number of awareness activities, including the media-sponsored Diorama contests, where fans are encouraged to use Peeps and props to design innovative box art. The Denver Post already announced the winners of this year’s competition and The Washington Post will showcase its entries in their Easter Sunday magazine section.
Each year, the city of Sacramento, California hosts the Peep Off, a Peeps-eating contest, which occurs the week after Easter when the marshmallow treats are on sale at deeply discounted prices. The current record is held by the aptly named Dennis Gross, who downed 103 Peeps in 30 minutes.
Finally, for totally die-hard Peeps fans, a blogger named “Aaron” has collected more than 150 links to Peeps sites across the Internet that he feels are “worth looking at.” So if you happen to be a tried and true Peeps fan, you’ll enjoy browsing the collection.
Although your mother may have told you not to play with your food, this is one of those occasions when it is perfectly acceptable and even encouraged. The great thing about Peeps is, at the end of the day, when you’re done playing with them, you can eat them!
Related articles
- Chocolate Covered Peeps (neatorama.com)
- Celebrating Peeps (blisstree.com)
- Peeps! (cooking-gadgets.com)
- Good Eats: How to Make Chocolate-Covered Peepsicles (thekitchn.com)
- How Marshmallow Peeps Are Made (thekitchn.com)
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