Mmm, Peeps. Nothing says springtime like a gooey, marshmallowey Peep. Peeps are a marshmallow treat usually marketed around Easter time, commonly in the shape of a bunny or little chick, and you can do several interesting things with them aside from eat them headfirst. Here are some other fun facts you might like to know about Peeps.
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Peeps are manufactured by Just Born, Inc., a confectioner in Bethlehem, PA that also makes Hot Tamales and Mike and Ike candies. Next time you bite the head off of one of those yellow marshmallow chicks, remember it was made by a company called "Just Born." Mmm.
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Peeps actually have their own website, http://www.marshmallowpeeps.com! There is a fan club, recipes, and historical information about Peeps. The Just Born company got its name long before the first Peep was spooted out -- it was begun by Russian emigrant Samuel Born in 1923 as a Brooklyn storefront. The first Peeps were made in the 1950s, after Just Born acquired another candy company that specialized in marshmallow treats.
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Peeps will turn rock-hard after only a few months sitting out in the open. A coworker of mine is a long-time Peeps fan. He has left a pink Peep sitting on his office windowsill for several years now, and it is completely resistant to elastic deformation. It also has enough shear strength to support several heavy books without crumbling.
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Pink Peeps elicit dominance displays in certain reptiles. The aforementioned windowsill-inhabiting Peep consistently attracts the attention of anole lizards outside the window, who come by to turn a vivid green and perform their pushups to impress the intruder with their machismo.
Here are just a few actual Fun Facts taken from the Peeps website:
- Strange things people like to do with Marshmallow Peeps: eat
them stale, microwave them, freeze them, roast them, and use
them as a pizza topping.
- Each Peep has 32 calories (160 calories per five-chick
serving) and 0 fat grams.
- In 1953, it took 27 hours to create one Marshmallow Peep.
Today, it takes six minutes.