The Queen of Peeps Tells All!

Friends no longer give me wine, roses or perfume. They give me Peeps, those sugar-coated marshmallow candies.

Three years ago, I would have considered any such present tacky. Peeps were those cheap, tasteless, yellow chicks that turned up every Easter. Nobody ate them, certainly not I.

Then one day, I saw a blue bunny lying in a box on an office counter used for giveaways. It was sort of cute. Long ears, a pretty color--a delicate azure, as I recall. I ate it, having no idea that it was a Peep.

It was wonderful, really amazing. First, the sheer, almost imperceptible coating of crunchy sugar, then the soft, cloudlike marshmallow.

I kept my eye on that counter. Another box appeared, and another and another. I took them all. Why didn’t anyone want this extraordinary candy? Why were they tossing it out like rubbish?

At that stage, I had no idea where Peeps were sold. I didn’t know you could buy them in supermarkets and drugstores. When I found that out, I began to buy my own Peeps. It was thrilling to find the price reduced one day close to Easter.

Recently, I came across a box of purple cat Peeps that I had stuck in the back of a desk drawer. They were a year old, but the consistency was quite nice. If you open a Peeps box and let it sit, the Peeps will dry slightly, but the chewy texture is pleasing.

I am glad to see that the Peeps people (Just Born Inc., named after Sam Born, the Russian immigrant who started the company in 1932) are trying to increase sales by designing Peeps for other holidays, not just Easter. They are adding new shapes and even flavors, although I, for one, don’t consider this necessary. Last Valentine’s Day there were strawberry-flavored hearts that were interesting. Vanilla creme is another new flavor. It’s OK.

I keep Peeps in my desk drawer. They are handy in a crisis, or on any occasion requiring unusual concentration. If you are feeling nervous or stressed, try this: Take a Peep and eat it in tiny, tiny bites. Chew each thoroughly. One Peep may be enough, but if not, take another. I’ve eaten as many as four Peeps when under pressure.

Right now, a box of white Peeps ghosts is on my desk. I have heard that Peeps are decorated by hand. These are a little messy. The black eyes and mouth are neat on some of the ghosts, but they have spread out and run together on others. I think I like the colored Peeps better.

My birthday is close to Halloween. Once I was surprised with a Peeps birthday cake--a chocolate cake covered with Peeps ghosts, pumpkins and cats, mounted on toothpicks. It was spectacular.

In September, I watched the Miss America contest--so much fuss over a little sparkly crown. But I too have a title. I’m known as the Queen of Peeps.

It’s a nice honor. There is no crown, but I don’t like hats or other things on my head. And the perks are pretty good. By now you know what they are.