Collectiblog

As long as I can remember, the ultimate sign that Easter was near was the annual reappearance of Peeps in the local pharmacy’s candy aisle. Their squishy presence always brings a smile to my inner child. Even though I’ve never been a huge consumer of marshmallow products, I’m a sucker for cute foodstuffs, and Peeps simply have the market cornered on cute. 

According to various scholars of ancient candies, marshmallows date back to ancient Egypt, where the marsh mallow root grew. Coincidentally, ancient Egypt makes me think of Easter as well, since the annual network airing of The 10 Commandments often falls close to the Christian holiday as it generally is around Passover. But I digress… marsh mallow plants also grow freely near the banks of many a marsh (hence the prefix) in the eastern part of North America as well. Peeps are currently made of a more modern concoction of sugar and corn syrup, but they are practically ancient by modern standards. The pastry tube-squeezed chicks were invented in the 1920s by the Rodda Candy Company,  but remained nameless until the Just Born company bought out Rodda in 1953 and cornered the market on commercial marshmallow production. 

Although the yellow chicks are the cornerstone of the world of Peeps, the pink ones are a close second. In the 1960s, Peeps began to branch out and were made into green Christmas trees and orange pumpkins at Halloween. Over the years, with ever-increasing sales, Peeps chicks emerged in blue, green lavender, red and orange. In fact, marshmallow chicks, bunnies and tulips sell in such quantities each spring, the total production line could circle the earth (and possibly end world hunger if shared generously amongst the Peep-impoverished nations of the world.) 

Some of the newer additions to the Peeps Empire are delicious chocolate-mousse bunnies and teddy bears. For those who can’t bear to bite the head off the cute little critters, Peeps (along with Applause toys) released a series of plush Peeps to put in your Easter basket. More mature fans of Peeps might want to look into the Lennox China Peeps for a charming variety of Peep-inspired ceramics. 

Since the company’s motto is “Always in Season,” there are always new Peeps coming along, from Valentine’s hearts, Christmas snowmen, Halloween ghosts and bats  plus a whole array of brightly colored Peeps can be found at the appropriate time of year. A the rate they’re going, it wont be long before there are Peeps to celebrate every holiday on the calendar. The official Peeps website offers a variety of recipes transforming Peeps into impossibly cute concoctions including my personal favorite, Peepsicles. Although it’s been said that dropping a Peep into a cup of hot cocoa is a taste sensatio n not to be missed, I believe that to be Peepicide -- and can’t help but wonder if Peeps Fondue is a touch more humane. 

Although Peeps were meant to be eaten fresh, there are those who believe they should be kept until they get crunchy. I personally prefer not to eat them, but put them neatly in their packages on the shelf and admire them for what they represent -- all the sweet times in life.  

What’s your favorite kind of Peeps?