MoonPies, Mobile, and Mardi Gras
“You know all about the beads, parades, masks and mayhem of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. But did you know that the country’s first Mardi Gras celebration was held not in the Crescent City, but 125 miles east, in Mobile, Alabama?”
It’s true! Check out this great article written by Mike Jordan on the Southern Kitchen blog.
“Similar to New Orleans, Mobile krewes are known for hurling a particular Southern delicacy: the chocolate-dipped marshmallow and graham cracker sandwich named after our planet’s only permanent natural satellite. According to Judi Gulledge, who is the executive director of the Mobile Carnival Association and also runs the Carnival Museum, the MoonPie tradition began in the 1940s and 1950s, when float organizers wanted to toss something softer into the crowds than Cracker Jack boxes.
“The MoonPie became a staple throw in Mobile in the early 60s,” said Gulledge. “Members from a local ladies’ organization were in Chattanooga at a convention meeting and ran across some MoonPies, and thought they would make a great throw. The reasoning? They are soft and have some weight to them, so when the ladies’ tossed them, they had some leverage. They were looking for something economical, and MoonPies checked all of the boxes. They brought them back to Mobile and it caught on as a novelty.”
Now, an estimated 500,000 MoonPies from Chattanooga Bakery are thrown each year.”
*Article copy sourced from SouthernKitchen.com
*Image sourced from Bainbridge.today