Chocodile Twinkie
Chocodile Twinkies /ˈtʃɒkoʊdaɪl/ are a confection created by the Hostess Brands company. The confection was known only as Chocodiles prior to 2014. The package describes the snack cake as a "chocolate coated sponge cake with creamy filling." The Chocodile is Twinkie-shaped and sold in packages of two.
History
The Chocodiles mascot was formerly Chauncey Chocodile, but Hostess has removed him from packaging and their website in recent years. Since the late 1990s, Chocodiles have no longer been sold on the East Coast of the United States. Hostess had only a few West Coast factories making them, and to ensure the products' freshness, Chocodiles were sold only on the West Coast.
There has been debate over whether a Chocodile is a chocolate-covered Twinkie. The debate arose from the seeming "texture difference" between the Twinkie and the Chocodile. During a taste test and debate in Vacaville, California, opinions were split among those taking the test as to whether the taste of the cake was the same. This issue was resolved during a show on the Food Network where it was confirmed by Hostess that the Chocodile was, in fact, a chocolate-covered Twinkie. This has caused consternation for some, who continue to swear the cake is different. In actuality, it is the chocolate that makes the difference. Due to the chocolate coating, the cake tends to stay more moist, leading to the slightly different texture when compared to a normal Twinkie.
In 2014, Hostess Brands re-introduced the cake as "Chocodile Twinkies".[1] The new cakes are 1.45 oz. each, and are labelled as "Fun Size", as the original Chocodiles were 2 oz. each. They are also now available on the East Coast.
In 2017, Hostess re-introduced the full sized Chocodiles as "Fudge Covered Twinkies".
In popular culture
In the 1987 comedy film Summer School, teacher Freddy Shoop (Mark Harmon) bonds with a fellow teacher (Kirstie Alley) with a junk food binge; at one point, Allen declines another snack cake, stating she'll stick with the Chocodiles.
In the TV series American Dad!, it is Roger the alien's favorite snack food. Chocodiles are sold on the West Coast and in a few areas on the East Coast: Alexandria, VA, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, PA. The series takes place in the state of Virginia.[2]
Chocodiles are a recurring product in the web comic Modest Medusa. [3]
In Timeless season 1, episode 7, "Stranded", Lucy Preston, Wyatt Logan, and Rufus Carlin are captured by the Shawnee tribe led by Nonhelema during the French and Indian War. While in captivity and contemplating the odds of not surviving their capture, Rufus mentions he would give anything for another Chocodile. After the team escapes the timeline and returns to the present day, Lucy gives Rufus a box of Chocodiles.[4]
In Lie to Me season 1, episode 12, "Blinded"", Cal Lightman makes a deal with the serial rapist Andrew Jenkins by promising him a box of Chocodiles every week in exchange for information leading to a copycat killer.[5]
In Angel season 4, episode 7, "Apocalypse, Nowish", Chocodiles are Cordelia Chase's favorite snack food. [6]
On episode 689 of The Lanalax Corporation podcast, “Oops, Daddy,” Chocodiles play a major role in the plot, leading the C-list celebrity protagonist to discover a time vortex in the stockroom of a grocery store. [7]
In the critically acclaimed movie “Boyz N The Hood” the character Ricky can be seen eating Chocodiles throughout various parts of the movie.
See also
References
- https://huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/09/chocodile-twinkies_n_5568221.html
- American Dad! Pilot plot summary on tv.com
- http://modestmedusa.com/
- Shoemaker, Allison (November 29, 2016). "Timeless needs to ditch the formula". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
- Lie to Me plot summary