Peeps

Peeps
For other uses, see Peeps (disambiguation).
Yellow and pink Peeps
Orange pumpkin Halloween Peeps

Peeps are marshmallow candies, sold in the United States and Canada, that are shaped into chicks, bunnies, and other animals. There are also different shapes used for various holidays. Peeps are used primarily to fill Easter baskets, though recent ad campaigns tout the candy as "Peeps - Always in Season". They are made from marshmallow, corn syrup, gelatin, and carnauba wax.

Peeps are produced by Just Born,[1] a candy manufacturer founded in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania by Russian immigrant Sam Born.[2] In 1953, Just Born acquired the Rodda Candy Company and its marshmallow chick line, then turned the tedious process of hand-forming the chicks to mass production.[3] The yellow chicks were the original form of the candy — hence their name — but then the company introduced other colors and, eventually, the myriad shapes in which they are now produced peepop.

In 2009, Just Born expanded the Peeps product line further by introducing Peeps Lip Balm in four flavors: grape, strawberry, vanilla, and cotton candy.[4] The first Peeps & Co. store opened in November 2009 in Prince George's County.[5]

Contents

Contests and competitions

An annual "Peep Off" competition is held in Maryland on the first Saturday after Easter, when Peeps are greatly discounted, to see who can eat the most in 30 minutes. The first such event was arranged by Shawn Sparks in 1994, and had only six participants.[6] Dave Smith started Sacramento's record-holding (102 eaten) annual Peep Off after contacting Jack Eidsness, a participant in the first Peep Off, with a question about it, through Mr. Eidsness' Peep-themed website.[7][8]

The Seattle Times has an annual contest of Peeps used in photos.[citation needed] The St. Paul Pioneer Press was the first newspaper to hold an annual Peeps diorama contest and receives hundreds of entries every year.[citation needed] The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and other newspapers also hold a Peeps diorama contest every Easter.[citation needed] MIT has held Peeps contests.[9]

The Universal Record Database has a number of world records that involve Peeps.[10]

The Racine Art Museum is sponsoring the International Peeps Competition from April 1–28. Anyone can enter the contest, centered around the theme 'peep-powered work of art.'[11]

Indestructibility

Peeps are sometimes jokingly described as "indestructible". In 1999, scientists at Emory University performed experiments on batches of Peeps to see how easily they could be dissolved, burned or otherwise disintegrated, using such agents as cigarette smoke, boiling water and liquid nitrogen.[12] They claimed that the eyes of the confectionery "wouldn't dissolve in anything".[13] Furthermore, Peeps are insoluble in acetone, water, diluted sulfuric acid, and sodium hydroxide.[14] Concentrated sulfuric acid seems to have effects similar to the expected effects of sulfuric acid on sugar.[15] This debate was featured in an episode of the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle ("Traffic Jam") where Francis insisting the "Quacks" (as they were called) would dissolve in his stomach rather than expand, takes up the dare to eat 100 of them, doing so, but getting very sick in the process.

References

  1. ^ Lehner, Marla (2003-04-17). "The Power of Peeps". Fox News. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,84455,00.html. Retrieved 2009-04-22. 
  2. ^ Naylor, Roger (2003-04-17). "To Peep or not to Peep". Las Vegas Mercury. http://www.lasvegasmercury.com/2003/MERC-Apr-17-Thu-2003/21076953.html. Retrieved 2011-02-11. 
  3. ^ "Peeps: A candy and a technological wonder peep.". Associated Press. USA Today. 2003-04-16. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-04-16-peeps_x.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-22. 
  4. ^ Zimmer, Erin (April 2, 2009). Peeps Lip Balm, Reviewed. http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/04/peeps-lip-balm-reviewed.html. 
  5. ^ Mui, Ylan Q. (July 9, 2009). "Peeps Are Hopping to Their Own Store at National Harbor". WashingtonPost.com. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/08/AR2009070803978.html?hpid=artslot. 
  6. ^ Jack Eidsness (before April 1996). "The unofficial Marshmallow Peep page". http://peep.peril.org/peepoff.html. Retrieved 2007-07-09. [dubious – discuss]
  7. ^ Vincent P. Bzdek (11 April 2004). "50 years of turning Easter into one big Peeps show". Oakland Tribune (reprinted from Washington Post article). http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20040411/ai_n14573992/print. Retrieved 2007-08-09. 
  8. ^ First Peeps store is a mecca for all their 'peeple', Los Angeles Times, December 11, 2009
  9. ^ Alum.mit.edu
  10. ^ "Peep World Records". http://urdb.org/tags/Peeps. Retrieved 2010-04-02. [dubious – discuss]
  11. ^ Zagat Buzz Blog: It's Peeps Art Time! March 22, 2011
  12. ^ Severson, Kim (April 3, 1999). "Peeps Rule Roost". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/1999/04/03/MN87101.DTL. Retrieved 2009-03-01. 
  13. ^ "What Do You Call a Guy Who Cuts Apart Peeps?". U S News. October 3, 1999. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/991011/archive_002077.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-01. 
  14. ^ "solubility". Peepresearch.org. http://www.peepresearch.org/solubility.html. Retrieved 2010-10-25. 
  15. ^ "Peep Wars: Revenge of the Mole". Students.millikin.edu. 2005-10-23. http://students.millikin.edu/~acs/HTML/peep_revenge.html. Retrieved 2010-10-25. 

External links

v · Just Born

Mike and Ike · Hot Tamales · ZOURS · Teenee Beanee  · Peeps · Peanut Chews

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • peeps — UK [piːps] US [pips] noun [plural] computing informal used especially on the Internet to refer to people Thesaurus: informal and humorous words for groups of peoplesynonym general words for groups of peoplehyponym …   Useful english dictionary

  • peeps — noun /piːpz/ a) people Not many peeps here tonight, innit? b) People. Hey my peeps, how are you doing? …   Wiktionary

  • peeps — n People, workers. I ll have my peeps talk to your peeps and we ll close this deal. 2000s …   Historical dictionary of American slang

  • peeps — To share, as in little birds peeping to their parents to be fed. Do you want your own bowl or do you just want peeps? …   Dictionary of american slang

  • peeps — To share, as in little birds peeping to their parents to be fed. Do you want your own bowl or do you just want peeps? …   Dictionary of american slang

  • peeps — /pips/ (say peeps) plural noun → peepz …  

  • Peeps (disambiguation) — Peeps are a brand of small marshmallow candies shaped like animals.Peep or peeps may also refer to: * Peeps (novel), a novel by Scott Westerfeld * Peep (album), an album by The Rasmus * Peep and the Big Wide World , a children s television show * …   Wikipedia

  • Peeps (novel) — infobox Book | name = Peeps image caption = author = Scott Westerfeld cover artist = Jason Ralls country = United States language = English series = genre = Young adult Science Fiction publisher = Penguin Group release date = February 8 2005… …   Wikipedia

  • PEEPS — People …   Abbreviations SMS and Internet

  • peeps — n pl people. The term occurs in American slang, in which it may refer to one s fel low gang members or one s friends and family, and in British, where it is often a plural term of address, probably inspired by its use in the comic mono logues… …   Contemporary slang

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