TALES OF THE TWINKIES!
Twinkies and I share a long history together. Even before I ever tasted one, I smelled them. And overcome by that delicious creamy good fragrance, my infant senses went into action and introduced me to new bodily function … salivation. Unfortunately, my Aunt Edna into whose care I had been erroneously been placed, coarsely commented, “Oh, look, Little is drooling again. Isn’t that cute?”
Thankfully, my all-wise grandmother replied, “Well, wipe his face, dingbat!” I would soon realize that this was a normal conversation between the two. My Aunt Edna had never married and she lived with my grandmother in a four family flat in north Saint Louis. Since this was back in an unenlightened era, my aunt was unkindly referred to as a spinster lady and/or old maid.
Grandma was my dad’s mother. My grandpa and her husband had died shortly after my mom and dad married. So the house on Palm Street was referred to as Grandma’s House. 
And it was located across the alley from the Hostess Bakery where they baked Twinkies and Snowballs 24-hours a day. That’s why going to Grandma’s was always such salivating fun. Even despite my Aunt Edna, who would always be a well-meaning menace. Actually when we were coming to visit she would always stop at the bakery store and pick up a couple of packages for me and my brother.
Twinkies always came two to a package, which meant there was always one for me and one for my brother. They also tasted better when I was little. The original creme filling was banana flavored. To be honest I can’t remember when I last ate a Twinkie. Guess that’s why they’re going out of business. Alas, I killed the Twinkies Factories!
These days, I eat sensible foods …
Monday morning’s buttermilk pancakes!
Posted on November 20, 2012, in Reflections and tagged Aunt Edna, Grandma, Twinkies. Bookmark the permalink. 4 Comments.
... a somewhat unknown or perhaps imaginary actor, writer, director, producer, photographer, friend, brother, uncle and all round good fellow that you really should get to know because he lives with that most glamorous fourpaw Mademoiselle Renee. (Mlle. Renee for short)
You say the original filling flavor was banana. You sure about that? My dad’s store sold Twinkies. I think there was, for a short while, a banana flavored version that was sold in addition to the original. I say this because, in my misguided youth, I loved Twinkies but hated bananas. I (sort of) remember having to be careful to make sure any package I was opening was the non-banana filling version. On the other hand, maybe I’m wrong. You would probably know since grandma lived across the street! Must’ve smelled wonderful.
Yes, the original flavor was banana from the early 30′s when they were first created to sometime during WW2 when bananas could not be imported. But you’re right, an artificial banana flavor returned several times for brief periods, but never lasted long. They also briefly tried a chocolate filling.
I never ate Twinkies. But I did eat Hostess cupcakes.
I’d send you one, but all the store shelves have been emptied.