Twinkies have a reputation for surviving almost anything, including their own manufacturer's bankruptcy, but not every part of the legend holds up.
Invented in Illinois, 1930
Twinkies were created in 1930 by James Dewar, a baker at the Continental Baking Company in Schiller Park, Illinois, who came up with the idea of injecting cream filling into an existing sponge cake shape rather than developing a whole new product.
Banana cream, then vanilla
The original filling was banana cream. That changed during the Second World War, when banana shortages caused by wartime rationing forced a switch to vanilla, and vanilla proved popular enough that it stayed the standard filling even once bananas were freely available again.
The shelf-life myth
Twinkies have a reputation for lasting almost indefinitely, to the point of being used as a punchline in films and TV. In reality, the shelf life is around 45 days, long for a fresh baked snack cake, but nowhere near the decades the myth suggests.
Surviving a bankruptcy
In 2012, Hostess, the company producing Twinkies at the time, filed for bankruptcy and ceased production, triggering a rush of panic buying that the US media nicknamed the Twinkie apocalypse. The brand didn't disappear for good, it was bought by new owners and production resumed in 2013, and Twinkies have remained a fixture of American snacks ever since.
Frequently asked questions
Do Twinkies really last forever?
No, that's an urban myth. A Twinkie's actual shelf life is around 45 days, not decades. The myth likely grew from the fact that they last noticeably longer than most fresh baked goods, not because they're literally indestructible.
What flavour were Twinkies originally?
Twinkies launched in 1930 filled with banana cream. The filling switched to vanilla during the Second World War because of banana shortages caused by wartime rationing, and vanilla stuck as the standard flavour even after the war ended.
Did Twinkies almost disappear?
Yes. Hostess, the company making Twinkies at the time, filed for bankruptcy in 2012, triggering a wave of panic buying widely nicknamed the Twinkie apocalypse. The brand was bought by new owners and production resumed in 2013.