Mallomars
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mallomars are a kind of cookie in the marshmallow sandwich genre, produced seasonally at Nabisco. A circle of Graham cracker is covered with a puff of extruded marshmallow, then enrobed (not dipped) in a hard dark chocolate shell. Mallomars were introduced to the public in 1913, the same year as the Moon Pie (a confection which has similar ingredients). The first box of Mallomars was sold in West Hoboken, NJ (now Union City, NJ). Nabisco discusses it with a short story printed on Mallomar boxes [citation needed].
Because Mallomars melt easily in summer temperatures, they can become difficult to find during the summer: they are generally available from early October through April. Devoted eaters of the cookie have been known to stock up during winter months and keep them refrigerated over the summer. Seventy percent of all Mallomars sold are sold in metropolitan New York, and a majority of the rest are sold in outliers such as Miami and Los Angeles.[citation needed]
Contents |
[edit] Similar cookies
Mallomars are very similar to the traditional Israeli confection Krembos. There are numerous cookies which look like Mallomars, but few have the dark chocolate coating which makes them so sensitive to summer temperatures and renders their distribution a risky affair.[citation needed]
Whippet cookies are one such alternative which are produced in Montreal, Canada. Due to the lower temperatures in Montreal, Whippets can be produced throughout the year.[citation needed] Another similar product is Choco Pie, produced by Orion Confectionary in Korea.
British Wagon Wheels are not exactly the same, they are more akin to Smores. Nearer is what is often referred to as an 'English Teacake'; although the original name referred to specifically baked cakes, often individually baked or pieces of larger cakes, the name is now more often used in the UK to refer to Mallomar-shaped teatime biscuits, made originally by small localized manufacturers, but now made by Burtons Foods and Tunnock's. Though mallomars and tea biscuits are similar, there is some dispute on this point; mallomars typically have a thicker, somewhat harder external chocolate shell, whereas Tunnock's tea cakes have a thin skin of milk or dark chocolate.[citation needed]
In New Zealand, Griffin's MallowPuffs and Arnott's Marshians are the closest to Mallomars. MallowPuffs are available in varieties such as Banana Split, Double Choc, Jaffa, Original, Pineapple, Rocky Road, and Toffee. There is also a Giant Original version.[citation needed]
[edit] Dangerous environments
Warm environments are not the only dangerous ones for Mallomars and similar confections. Because of the numerous air pockets within the marshmallow, changes in air pressure can cause drastic changes in the size of the biscuit, thus destroying the integrity of the chocolate coating. For instance, most airlines keep their aircraft cabins pressurized at a level which is slightly below that of normal ground pressure. This can ruin the unblemished surface of such a cookie, removing part of the visual pleasure and anticipation that comes when the box is opened. Fortunately, this does not affect the unmistakable strong chocolate aroma.[citation needed]
[edit] Mallomars in popular culture
- Mallomars are featured in a moment of the feature film When Harry Met Sally... (1989). A forlorn Harry watches TV on New Year's eve with a box of Mallomars.
- Mallomars add local color to Wally Lamb's coming-of-age novel She's Come Undone.
- Mallomars are mentioned on an episode of The Simpsons. Ned Flanders, during his final breakdown, in which he personally and wickedly insults every major character on the show, turns to Clancy Wiggum, the town's obese, incompetent police chief, and informs him, "The last case you got to the bottom of was a case of Mallomars!"
- Mallomars are mentioned briefly on Family Guy. Peter Griffin "sold his soul once in 1977 for Bee Gees tickets and then again in 1983 for half a Mallomar."
- Mallomars are mentioned in at least one Seinfeld episode.
- Mallomars are mentioned in at least two episodes of The Golden Girls. Blanche tells the other girls to just tell her the bad news so she can get hysterical and eat a box of Mallomars.
- In an episode of Roseanne, Roseanne Connor (Roseanne Barr) discovers a box of Mallomars as she is just beginning a diet. In a 1991 episode entitled "Home Ec" Roseanne takes Darlene's Home Ec class on an educational shopping trip to the supermarket and the patron ahead of them in the check-out line is buying vodka, mallomars and a TV Guide. "I'm thinking single, and staying that way" Roseanne comments to the girls in reference to the pathetic gentleman.
- Mallomars are mentioned in The Sopranos episode, "Big Girls Don't Cry." Tony has arranged a secret meeting with Paulie, who asks "I do something wrong?" Tony replies, "Sunday, my house, box of Mallomars on the counter? F***in' empty. You think I don't know it was you? I'm kiddin', you f***. Listen, [Furio] coming over is good, you're gettin' a bump." Relieved, Paulie says, "F***in' Mallomars, I thought you lost your mind."
- Mallomars appear briefly in the WB series Felicity episode "Todd Mulcahy: Part 1." Todd sends Felicity a care package filled with art supplies and Mallomars. Then, in "Todd Mulcahy: Part 2," Felicity tearfully finds comfort in a Mallomar after Todd gets hit by a speeding bus.
- Mallomars appear in Gilmore Girls; Lorelai receives traditional birthday Mallomars every year from her daughter Rory. Also in one episode Rory pins a message for Lorelai to Mallomars because that way Lorelai is bound to find them.
- Mallomars are mentioned in Regarding Henry, the 1991 movie staring Harrison Ford and Annette Bening. They were Henry's (Harrison Ford's character) favorite treat before he suffered from retrograde amnesia as a result of being shot multiple times.
- Mallomars are mentioned in Party of Five episode 120, "The Trouble with Charlie," when Claudia sees that an imitation brand has been purchased in place of the real thing, to which she responds, "The imitation brands suck."
- Mallomars appear as "Dharmalars" in episode 219 of Lost ("S.O.S."): Rose is shown re-stocking the makeshift "pantry" with food supplies that display the Dharma Initiative brand.
- Stephen Colbert compared Washington DC to a mallomar during the 2006 White House Correspondents' Dinner. He was making a joke of the city's racial composition, with the marshmallow (white) core of the city, and the chocolate (black) outside. The graham became the corruption in Washington. The joke was a play on references to New Orleans' mayor Ray Nagin describing New Orleans as being a "chocolate" city during the reconstruction after Hurricane Katrina.
- Mallomars are mentioned in a Sports Night episode, "Intellectual Property." Dan is smarting over a $2500 bill for singing "Happy Birthday" to his partner Casey on the air. Dan says, "They were fine Mallomars. All I'm saying is you could have had the four remaining Spice Girls serve them to me in hot pants - I still say I got gypped."
- Mallomars are mentioned during the short film segment "Money Talks" of Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode 621, "Beast of Yucca Flats". In the short film, a boy is complaining how his friends always seem to have money but he's always broke. As the boy sits down at his desk that has a Mallomar-shaped pen holder, Crow T. Robot quips that "Even having a huge Mallomar doesn't help." Amazingrando
