Kentucky Serendipity

It’s a Southern Thing: Moon Pie 28 October 2020

Moon Pie is definitely a southern thing, especially when paired with the traditional RC Cola. Southerners have enjoyed this treat for more than a century. It’s embedded in the culture and celebrated in songs, festivals and eating contests. Even though it’s a southern thing, Moon Pies are enjoyed by people throughout most of the nation and can be found wherever there’s a Dollar General Store (another southern icon).

As all children of the south know, a moon pie is two graham crackers with a marshmallow filling covered in a flavored “icing”. The original flavor was chocolate. It was the only flavor until the 1960s. Like most other brands, Moon Pie increased it’s offerings, and the Double-Decker Deluxe chocolate was introduced as were vanilla and banana single decker pies. Later additions have included the mini size as well additional flavors including strawberry, mint, and salted caramel. Seasonal flavors of orange and coconut were also introduced. In all flavors and sizes Moon Pies have remained popular, and the factory in Chattanooga, TN, produces about a million a day.

It should come as no surprise that Moon Pie has followed the cultural lead (if it can be called that) and introduced Pumpkin Spice flavor pies. I sampled a box of the minis even though I am not a big fan of pumpkin spice. As expected, the composition is the same as earlier versions with the graham crackers and marshmallow. The flavor is mild which is nice; I had feared an overpowering flavor as has occurred when some other foods jumped on the pumpkin spice bandwagon. In addition to being mild, the flavor was inoffensive. It hints at the flavor of autumn without slamming your face in it. Because of this, the cake is clearly still a Moon Pie — the taste buds are not tricked into sensing it as something else. I found the Pumpkin Spice Mini to be a novelty rather than a staple, and accepted it as such. The flavor was acceptable but I wouldn’t want it regularly. I still prefer the chocolate or banana variety but I’m happy to try any flavor Moon Pie wants to throw in the market.