The Hostess Twinkie—about to take its place in the fading memories of baby boomers whose lunches were crowned by the Hostess Cupcake with white icing loops on top; the iconic Ding Dong, and by the cream-filled spiral chocolate HoHo. But mostly by that plump air-filled little creation of sugar, sugar, shortening, sugar, and 40 other ingredients—the poster snack for the early days of cheap junk food that delivered an instant high and the promise of diabetes to come—the Twinkie.
Who knew that polysorbate 60, Yellow dye 5, Red dye 4, monocalcium phosphate, cellulose gum, high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated vegetable and/or animal shortening, thiamine and lots of sugar (plus 35 other ingredients) could power two generations of American school kids through entire afternoons?
Those were simpler times, before the consciousness-raising of the 80s swept visions of transfats from our food radar. Before we came to crave kale smoothies and tofu po’boys. The days before processed food ingredients had to be screened by supermarket TSA agents. It was an Eden in which we were all blissfully unaware, and we could consume our Twinkies out in the open, without apology.
But that was then, and for many of us the Day of the Twinkie has long since passed, along with curlers, Aqua Velva and Velveeta. Can we lay the blame for millions of cases of adult obesity on the bankrupt doorstep of the Hostess folks? Or should we collectively strive for authenticity and admit that we were hopelessly smitten by this cream-filled bit of nothing? Okay, faux-“cream”-filled.
We wanted it. We bought it. We ate it.
I located the last remaining packages of Hostess Twinkies this morning at my local Safeway, mere hours after the company announced plans to enter bankruptcy. One buck for two plump fingers of 280 calorie heaven.
Who knows what the future will bring? But this Christmas, Santa’s “ho ho ho!” might prompt a different sort of nostalgia.
Good riddance! I won’t miss this stuff at all
I feel somewhat nostalgic, but I’m not really interested to eat any more Twinkies or HoHos. Interesting, though, but I don’t think we got fat on Twinkies. We were too busy playing outside and burning off the calories.
Not so fast, there is already strong speculation these brands will be sold and manufactured by some other entity.
Well the deal is not done yet. Could be a “ho ho” in your holiday yet!
C.
What’s the matter Bob? Can’t you find a wine in your selection that works with the Twinkie?
LDR is correct. The Twinkie will not die, no matter how hard it’s beaten by trend-following-foodies. Other entities are always ready to cater to what the people want, for bux, no matter how much it insults elite tastes.
David Letterman had a great line last night, that crack dealers in NY are now dealing Twinkie’s on the side. Want to bet some healthy ( maybe palatable is a better word) versions start showing up on menu’s around the country? Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Forget Twinkies! Instead think about Ho Hos, those chocately looking treats with the toothpaste looking squiggle on top. Close your eyes while you taste one. Do you actually detect anything that tastes like chocolate? No, I didn’t think so. As a child I felt so cheated! How could they do this? NOw, with my allowance spent, I was stuck with this disappointing, flavorless thing. No surprise that kids grow up restisting adult values and ideas!
We didn’t get those treats very often; they were too expensive to include in our everyday lunch boxes. I was a big fan of the Hostess Cupcake, that little chocolate number with the “creme” filling and white squiggle on top of the chocolate-flavored coating. And don’t forget the Sno-Ball, breathtaking in its white (or radioactively pink) marshmallow sarcophagus. We used to peel off that rubbery marshmallow and play with it until it was a grimy blob. And then eat it, yeah baby.
Dee – I too was a Hostess cupcake fan, but for the life of me I can’t remember why.
I do have to confess that I tried to eat one of those Twinkies in the photo last week. I could not do it.
It was just too plastic tasting, neither actual cream, nor actual food. Just some twilight zone goopiness in the mouth.
I am no food snob – I adore peanut butter and jelly sandwiches – but the Twinkie remains airy, sticky sweetness with an acrid aftertaste.
imho
Christina
Some comments:
Try a buttery chardonnay, such as the one with the famous cookbook author name, with your Twinkie; both have that over processed buttery creamy taste
Also, the famous 2 Buck Chuck red would pair just nicely with a Ho Ho, the wine has the needed antioxidants to combat the free radicals of the other.
Finally, not liking these above mentioned “food products” is not always a sign of food elitism, but more a desire that food be real and wholesome. Some circles, such as The Center for Science in the Public Interest, go so far as to view sugar as a substance much like Tobacco. I will not go that far, but the overall makeup of a Twinkie or Ho Ho does contain stuff that is nasty for the body and I choose to not eat them. and the overall health of Americans would be better suited, as I see it, to avoid products like a Twinkie or Ho Ho.