Is anyone here a recovering Twinkies addict? I just read about a new book called Twinkies, Deconstructed that takes each of the 39 ingredients ( ) in a Twinkie and analyzes its use and origins, one ingredient per chapter. Since Twinkies can't contain anything fresh - like milk or eggs - because they'd spoil, they're a hodge podge of chemicals and industrial materials.

Really interesting! I'll have to get this from the library. Thankfully Twinkies were never my vice (though I certainly had plenty of others!) but it's something to think about next time we read a label?

Jinkies...I never in my wildest dreams thought there were twinkie addicts out there. Woweeee.

Whoa, I might need to read that. Who woulda thunk it ... they seem so innocent ...

Thanks for posting!

I'm not sure I've ever had a twinkie but there was a website a few years ago that put out opened twinkies and other food items and see how well they decomposed compared to regular food and other processed foods. It was scary. I think after a year, the twinkie looked a bit worn but definitely nothing compared to the other food items.

'a bit worn out' ...

I've never eaten a Twinkie in my life and, after this, I never will!

I've never really enjoyed Twinkies. But Ho-Hos, that's a different story! Thankfully, they are hard to find!

You think that's bad, some people deep-fry them.

That's like adding insult to injury.

I wouldn't eat a Twinkie if it were the last food on earth. Yuk.

But I do adore McDonald's french fries: did you guys see "Super Size Me"? The guy put some fries in a glass jar and waited a few months to see what would happen to them. Nothing happened to them! They looked as delectable after 3 months as they do 10 minutes after you buy them.
That's pretty disgusting.*

Ah, the mysteries of food science.




*This does not mean that I have given up McD fries...just that I don't feel good about eating them

I'm not sure if I've ever had a twinkie before either. Funny Bones - now those I've had, quite a few in fact, similar shape, but a whole different ball game in my opinion. Dangerous stuff.

But 39 ingredients - 39? Incredible. During the course of an entire day the food that I consume (now) does not come close to 39 ingredients. Usually.

My favorite quote from the comments after an article on this book...

"I've always said there will be 3 things left after a nuclear war: cockroaches styrofoam, and twinkies!"

Everytime I'm remotely craving McDonald's I sit and watch Super Size Me usually quelches the craving everytime! Though, after seeing the Rats at the infamous Manhatten KFC live at 5 am Friday morning, I think I'm permanently turned off from Fast Food!

As for Twinkies, Deconstructed I'm going to order it on Amazon, sounds like it's the book that I'll be reading everytime I'm craving overprocessed snack cakes.

I'm not a twinkie lover though at the county fair I did share a deep-fried version for the novelty of it... nothing something I'll miss or look forward to next year.

Allison, I was grocery shopping this morning and decided to check out the ingredient label on HoHos to see if they're any better than Twinkies. I think there are 30+ ingredients (it's hard to read all the chemical names) but one really jumped out at me ... BEEF FAT! I mean, if I eat a hamburger, I know it has beef fat in it but I wouldn't expect it in HoHos. Gross!

Yes, that is gross. Thankfully, I have not eaten a HoHo in over 4 years.