Peeps facts for kids
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Just Born Peeps in an Easter basket
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| Product type | Confectionery |
|---|---|
| Owner | Just Born |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1953 |
| Previous owners | Rodda Candy Company |
Peeps are a popular marshmallow candy. They are made by a company called Just Born. Peeps have been sold in the United States and Canada since 1953.
You can find Peeps in fun shapes like chicks, bunnies, and other animals. They also come in special shapes for holidays like Halloween, Christmas, and Easter. While Peeps were first mostly sold for Easter, they are now available all year round. This includes special versions for Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day. Since 2014, smaller versions called Peeps Minis have been available anytime.
Peeps are made from simple ingredients. These include sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, food dyes, and salt.
Contents
The Story of Peeps
How Peeps Started: Rodda Candy Company
The R.E. Rodda Candy Company began in 1908 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Roscoe E. Rodda was the first president of the company. By 1915, they were selling high-quality candies across the country and even to other parts of the world.
In the 1930s and 1940s, Rodda Candy Company made chocolates, hard candies, and jelly beans. It's not clear exactly when they started making marshmallow candies. But by 1948, stores in Pennsylvania were already selling "Rodda marshmallow peeps" or "Rodda Easter peeps."
Even after Just Born took over in 1953, the candy was still sold as "Rodda Marshmallow Peeps" for many years. The Rodda name was used on the packaging until the mid-1990s.
Just Born Takes Over
Today, Peeps are made by Just Born. This candy company was started in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania by Sam Born. He was an immigrant from what is now Ukraine.
In 1953, Just Born bought the Rodda Candy Company. This included their marshmallow chick candy. Sam's son, Bob Born, found a way to make Peeps much faster. In 1954, he created machines to produce the chicks in large amounts. Before this, each chick was shaped by hand, which took a lot of time. Sam Born named his company "Just Born" because he made his candy fresh every day. Thanks to this new way of making Peeps, Just Born quickly became the biggest marshmallow candy maker in the world.
In the 1960s, Just Born started making Peeps in other shapes. These new shapes often matched different holidays. About 20 years later, the Marshmallow Peeps Bunny was released. It became a very popular shape available all year. The first Peeps were yellow chicks, which is how they got their name. Later, the company added other colors like pink and white. In 1995, lavender Peeps were introduced, and blue ones followed in 1998. New flavors like vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate were added between 1999 and 2002.
In 2003, a special "Peeps Fun Bus" traveled across the country. It helped promote the Peeps brand. The bus had a giant Peep on top and offered giveaways and games.
Just Born has also created other Peeps-themed items. In 2009, they introduced Peeps Lip Balm in different flavors. You can also find Peeps nail polish, wristbands, umbrellas, and plush toys. Other companies have made Peeps-themed items too, like pillows and Halloween costumes. The first Peeps & Co. store opened in 2009 in Maryland. More stores opened later in Minnesota and Pennsylvania. In 2014, Peeps Minis were launched. These smaller Peeps were meant to be available all the time.
In 2023, Bob Born, who was known as the "Father of Peeps" for making their production automatic, passed away at 98 years old.
Fun with Peeps: Contests and Competitions
There are many fun contests and competitions involving Peeps. One popular event is a "Peeps Eating" contest. It happens every year in National Harbor, Maryland. In 2017, the winner, Matt Stonie, ate 255 Peeps in just five minutes!
Some newspapers hold yearly contests where people create dioramas using Peeps. A diorama is a small scene or model. The St. Paul Pioneer Press was the first newspaper to do this. Other papers like the Chicago Tribune and the Seattle Times also have similar contests. These often happen around the Easter holiday. Even MIT (a famous university) has a yearly Peeps contest.
The Racine Art Museum hosts an Annual International Peeps Art Exhibition every April. Anyone can enter this contest. The goal is to create a "peep-powered work of art."
Here are some other fun Peeps activities:
- Peeps Jousting: Two marshmallow chicks are put in a microwave with wooden sticks. The one that grows bigger and deforms the other wins!
- "Peepza": This is a dessert pizza made with Peeps on top.
Some blogs have even been created with titles like "101 Fun Ways to Torture a Peep."
Are Peeps Indestructible?
Peeps are sometimes jokingly called "indestructible." In 1999, scientists at Emory University did some funny experiments. They tried to dissolve or burn Peeps using things like cigarette smoke, boiling water, and liquid nitrogen. They joked that the eyes of the Peeps "wouldn't dissolve in anything." One website even claimed that Peeps don't dissolve in acetone, water, or certain acids.
This idea was even featured in an episode of the TV show Malcolm in the Middle. In the episode, a character named Francis takes a dare to eat 100 "Quacks" (their version of Peeps). He gets very sick, proving they don't just disappear in your stomach!
When Peeps are left out in the air, they dry out and become a bit crunchy. The company Just Born says that about 25% to 30% of their customers actually prefer to eat Peeps when they are stale.
Peeps in the News
Peeps have been used in many creative recipes. In 2013, Fox News Magazine shared recipes for Peeps smores, Peeps pancakes, chocolate-covered Peeps, and Peeps brownies. You can also use Peeps as a marshmallow topping for hot chocolate.
A recipe called "Peepshi" involves putting a Peep on a Rice Krispie Treat. Then, it's wrapped in a Fruit by the Foot to look like a sushi roll.
In April 2017, there was a lot of talk online about Peeps being used as a pizza topping. Some people thought it was a strange idea!
In March 2021, Just Born teamed up with Pepsico (the company that makes Pepsi). They announced a special "limited edition" Peeps marshmallow cola soft drink.
Peeps on the Big Screen
On April 22, 2014, a filmmaker named Adam Rifkin bought the rights to make movies and TV shows about Peeps. Then, on April 5, 2021, it was announced that Wonder Street would be making a Peeps movie. The story is about a group of Peeps characters who go on a journey across the country. Their goal is to attend Peepsfest, which is a yearly celebration of the brand in Pennsylvania.
More Sweet Treats
- List of confectionery brands
- Flumps, a UK brand of rope-shaped marshmallow candy.
- Circus Peanut, an old-fashioned peanut-shaped marshmallow candy.
See also
In Spanish: Píos para niños
