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A moon pie or MoonPie® ^[1] is a pastry invented around 1917. ^[2] Moonpies were a favorite snack in the 1950's.

A MoonPie consists of two graham crackers shaped into round cookies, with marshmallow filling in the center. The confection is then dipped in chocolate (or other flavors). In the past 10 years, a mini MoonPie has been developed, about half the size of the earlier moon pies.

Contents 1 History 2 Nutrition facts 3 Similar products 4 In popular culture 5 Notes 6 External links

Moon pies are seen as a unique creation of the Southeastern United States, where they have been a perennial favorite since their inception. The story behind the name "moon pie" began in 1917, though the exact details have passed on into urban legend. Supposedly, a bakery salesperson from Chattanooga, Tennessee named Earl Mitchell visited a nearby coal mining town, and asked what kind of snack food the miners would like to eat. He was told that a popular confection involved graham crackers and marshmallows, and so he asked one of the local miners how big he wanted the snack to be. The miner made a circle with his hands and outlined the moon, which had risen in the sky at that time. "As big as the moon and twice as thick," he replied. Mr. Mitchell used this as the inspiration for the "moon pie."^{[citation needed]}

This section is missing citations or needs footnotes. Using inline citations helps guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies.(December 2006)

Moon pies had reached a peak of their popularity during the 1950s, when many workers bought them as an inexpensive snack to tide their hunger for a while. Around this time, the typical cost of a moon pie was about five cents, and a soda to drink was also a nickel. The popular legend of moon pies states that R.C. Cola became the drink of choice to accompany a moon pie, because a serving of R.C. Cola was typically larger than a serving of Coca-Cola or other sodas. The combination of "an R.C. Cola and a moon pie" became inseparable, and was often referred to as the "working man's lunch." (A novelty song in the early 1950s called "An RC Cola And A Moon Pie" became a popular jingle of the time. The band NRBQ later recorded a different song called "RC Cola and a Moon Pie" which was so popular among their fans that they held a series of concert/gatherings called "Moon Pie Festivals"). At an average cost of ten cents, the food combination became an institution (in part, by references to it in the comedy routines of Brother Dave Gardner).^{[citation needed]}

A MoonPie is made with marshmallow. The nutritional content of a chocolate full-size or Mini MoonPie® (from 2004) is detailed below, showing (full-size) 226 calories, ^[3] saturated fat 3.5g, carbohydrate 40g, protein 4g, iron 5%, of a total weight of 57 grams (2 ounces). The nutritional data for a chocolate Mini MoonPie is about 65% the amount of full-size. ^{[4] [5]}

The ingredients are as follows: ^[3] Enriched wheat flour (Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic acid), Corn Syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, Sugar, Vegetable Shortening (Contains Partially hydrogenated Soybean Oil and/or Cottonseed Oil and/or Coconut Oil and/or Palm kernel oil and/or Palm Oil), Soy Flour, Dutched Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Cocoa, Gelatin, Baking Soda, Lecithin, Salt, Artificial Flavoring, Sodium sulfite.^[3]

Nutrition facts for chocolate MoonPie® (full-size): ^[3]

• Serving size 1 (57g or 2 oz)
• Calories: 226 Calories from fat: 51
• Total fat: 5.7g (saturated fat 3.5g) Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 188mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 40g (dietary fiber 0g, sugars 12.5g)
• Protein: 4g Vitamin A: 0% Vitamin C: 0% Iron: 5%.^[3]

Nutrition facts for chocolate Mini MoonPie®: ^[4]

• Serving size 1 (34g or 1.2 oz)
• Calories: 152 (or 130^[5]) Calories from fat: 40 (or 30)
• Total fat: 4.5g (saturated fat 3g) Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 120mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 26g (dietary fiber 0g, sugars 8g)
• Protein: 2.5g.^[4]

Note that the nutrition data is for a chocolate MoonPie® or Mini MoonPie®, and other flavors (such as banana, vanilla, strawberry, or orange) might have different nutritional content.

In the northern regions of the United States, a moon pie is called a "Scooter Pie." In New England, a similar item is known as a "Whoopie Pie," though chocolate cakes are used instead of graham crackers, the pastry is not dipped in chocolate and the filling is sweet cake icing and not marshmellow cream. "MoonPie" is a registered trademark of The Chattanooga Bakery.

In the UK, Australia and Canada there are Wagon Wheels, introduced under the Weston name in the 1940s but since divested to other companies in the UK and Australia. [1][2]

A Korean company, Orion, produces Choco Pies. They can be found almost everywhere in the world. Orion has a "Choco Pie Index", as a parody of The Economist's Big Mac Index. [3]

Compare to Mallomars.

In Mexico, there is a cookie pie that consists of the same things called Mamut.

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

The moon pie has been a traditional throw of Carnival krewes in Mobile, Alabama, since 1956,^[2] and other communities along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, although it is seldom seen in New Orleans or other communities further west. The westernmost outpost of the moon pie as an important Carnival throw is Slidell, Louisiana, which has a parade by "The Krewe of Mona Lisa and Moon Pie." Also, in the town of Oneonta, Alabama, there is a moon pie eating contest started by Wal-Mart employee John Love when he accidentally ordered too many. This anecdote was featured in Sam Walton's autobiography, Made in America.

Moon pies are also mentioned in the TV series "Scrubs" (2001), where the character "Janitor" nicknames the main character 'Scooter', because he says it's short for scooter pie, a food he hates.

In "The Green Mile" (1996), a troublesome death row inmate William "Wild Bill" Wharton spits a whole-chewed moon pie on guard Brutus "Brutal" Howell's face as an annoying joke.

Moonpie is also the name of a movie released in 2006. [4]

In the Television Series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Season 2, Episode 15: "Phases"), Xander comments on how the full moon influenced Mankind to create the Moonpie. Giles became quite giddy, leading to the conclusion that Moonpies are the preferred snack food of Watchers.

In an episode of The Simpsons, Jasper freezes himself in the Kwik-E-Mart freezer to see the future, but he is thawed out early and sees a Moon Pie, and thinks it is from the future.

In Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector, Larry keeps the glovebox of his truck filled with Moon Pies and refers to them as his favorite snack.

1. ^ MoonPie® is a registered trademark of Chattanooga Bakery, Inc.
2. ^ ^{a b} "Carnival/Mobile Mardi Gras Timeline" (list of events by year), Museum of Mobile, 2001, webpage: MoM-timeline: states: 1917 - The Chattanooga Bakery company introduces the popular marshmallow cookie "moon pie"; and, 1956 The first "moon pies" are thrown from a Mobile Mardi Gras float.
3. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Chocolate MoonPie nutrition information" (label), DietFacts.com, 2004-09-07 (letter from bakery), webpage: DF-MoonPie (nutrition facts of full-size chocolate MoonPie).
4. ^ ^{a b c} "Chocolate Mini MoonPie nutrition information" (label), DietFacts.com, 2004-09-07 (letter from bakery), webpage: DF-choc-Mini-MoonPie (nutrition facts of chocolate Mini MoonPie).
5. ^ ^{a b} Labels in 2007 on a chocolate Mini MoonPie have listed 130 calories (30 from fat), with 2.5g saturated fat (Trans fat 0g), but the same weight, 34g (1.2 oz).

• The Chattanooga Bakery's official page