If you have been stocking up on Twinkies over the past several years waiting the apocalypse, have some bad news. North America’s most favorite snack food has suffered from some of the most outlandish rumors. Twinkies, the small, yellow, cream-filled snack cakes made by Hostess, have suffered rumors about their longevity for decades. The basic story goes that Twinkies will stay fresh for decades. Some even go so far as to say that a Twinkie can survive a nuclear war. This urban legend started when a science teacher in Maine kept one atop his chalkboard for 30 years, the Twinkie turned rather brittle. Feeding off that rumor, Twinkies have even been mentioned in movies such as Zombie Land. In reality Twinkies do in fact contain real food, they are truly baked, and the official shelf life is a mere 25 days. After this time, the Twinkie will continue to exist but will diminish greatly in taste and texture. Twinkies contain many simple food ingredients, such as flour, sugar, eggs, and canola oil. From 1930, when the Twinkie was first invented, to the 1940s, Twinkies were filled solely with banana creme. But a banana shortage during the war forced Hostess bakers to replace it with the vanilla. A limited time PUMPKIN SPICE TWINKIE will be released in September. Over 500 million are produced every year, at that rate of consumption, I can safely say Twinkies just don’t last that long! ……Ed
Source: Bethany Moncel/Photo: Christian Cable / Flickr
Comments