Originally published at: Who knew that Peeps are Jewish? | Boing Boing
…
4 Likes
Actually, both peeps and “White Christmas” seem like good ways to take religious holidays that one cannot avoid and make them secular and more palatable – though I’ve never found marshmallow to be particularly palatable. 
5 Likes
I had no idea that Peeps were religious. Or sentient for that matter. This does not change my likelihood of eating them, though.
10 Likes
Huh. I never thought about whether or not Peeps were kosher. If they can make kosher jelly beans, they could probably make kosher marshmallow for peeps, but presumably decided it wasn’t worth the trouble. Kosher gelatin exists as a thing, and I thought they decided long ago that it was so far removed from its animal sources that it was even pareve.
Are your candies Kosher?
All of our jelly bean type candies, such as MIKE AND IKE®, HOT TAMALES®, TEENEE BEANEE® Jelly Beans and JUST BORN® Jelly Beans are kosher and pareve. GOLDENBERG’S® PEANUT CHEWS® Candies are kosher dairy. They are manufactured under the supervision of the Kashruth Division of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. Our PEEPS® Marshmallow Candies are not kosher.
5 Likes
You don’t have to worship a zombie messiah to love Peeps!
6 Likes
I mean, Jesus was Jewish too so these guys have a lot in common.
10 Likes
That’s nothing compared to the movie Elf, one of the greatest Jewish Christmas movies ever. Writer, director, and half the main cast are Jewish, including Santa.
6 Likes
That explains why they were the ones who got stuck working on Christmas.
11 Likes
With a headline like this I think it’s important to state that the contribution of Jews to world culture overwhelmingly outweigh the crimes of one man.
Also unclear on what Easter has to do with Jews.
1 Like
Jerry Lewis is dead. Let it go…
7 Likes
Jelly beans don’t tend to be made with gelatin, traditionally they’re gelled with starch or pectin.
It’s a lot easier to manage kosher with that than with gelatin.
Gelatin is complicated because even most non-pork runs foul of the rules by virtue of back half of the cow, blood and nerve issues. And there’s the meat/dairy problem.
So kosher gelatin tends to be derived from fish. Fish gelatin tends not to gel as well, and it can be more expensive.
Marshmallows can be made with out gelatin, the name comes from the plant originally used to gel them. A source of plant mucilage. But the texture is different.
It’s probably just not worth it for something primarily associated with a Christian holiday. Particularly since they come in around Passover where rules are stricter.
But even marshmallow things like Malomars, which have a bit of a cult following in the NYC area Jewish community. Aren’t kosher.
I have seen kosher marshmallows and marshmallow treats. They just don’t seem especially common.
3 Likes
This seems like a silly line to draw- Peeps “are Jewish” because they’re made by a company with Jewish leadership? When I bake cookies, are they “Atheist cookies”?
A food “being Jewish” implies it is part of traditional cultural or religious practices associated with that group. I don’t think anyone would say that of Peeps, particularly when the company says they aren’t even Kosher.
People are more than their religion or cultural background. No need to assign labels to everything they do. That only serves to further divide us all.
5 Likes
I thought gelatin and stuff would just be made in total conversion from stalks and other cellulosic junk. Algae maybe.
And when you do find kosher peeps, buckle up because…
5 Likes
5 Likes
See the passage in Deuteronomy 14:2 referring to “God’s Chosen Peeps.”
11 Likes
Yes.
Can I have some?
8 Likes
Well, to be fair, scholars still hotly debate the provenance of the Snoop translation.
6 Likes
Gelatin comes from processing collegen with heat. Collegen is an animal protein, can’t get it from plants.
It’s the same thing you’re doing when you make stock, they just filter out the gelatin after.
Which is why vegetarian/vegan gelatin and plant based kosher versions tend to suck. It’s usually agar agar or carageenan which just don’t function the same way.
I remember some chatter about bacteria or yeasts that could be built to produce it by fermentation. But it’s really cheap to make gelatin as a byproduct of meat production by just processing bits of bone, hide and cartilage.
3 Likes
Yes, and that makes them awesome!
Also, Atheist Cookies —> band name.
5 Likes
Stick a Peep in your microwave and nuke it for 30-45 seconds. Have fun!
1 Like
