Why Twinkies Wouldn't Exist Without Strawberry Shortcake

Twinkies have been gracing store shelves since the 1930s, after 33-year-old James Dewar invented them in his Illinois bakery during the Great Depression. He dubbed the golden, cream-filled cakes the "cream puff of the proletariat," according to the Los Angeles Times, which also claimed that the creator ate at least two packets of Twinkies every week. The Chicago Tribune, meanwhile, quoted "Mr. Twinkie" as consuming three of his trademark treats per day. Either number is quite a feat, but can you blame him?

They're sweet, they're spongy, they're tasty and sometimes addictive, and after decades as a classic, they now come in different flavors, per the official Hostess website. In addition to classic vanilla and banana filling, you can purchase them in a few seasonal flavors as well, including pumpkin spice (of course), cotton candy, and mixed berry.

Speaking of berries: Strawberries — strawberry shortcake, to be more specific — actually played an important role in Dewar's invention of Twinkies. Have you noticed how similar strawberry shortcakes are to Twinkies cakes? Well, there's a reason for that. In fact, Twinkies wouldn't exist without strawberry shortcakes, which Dewar also whipped up in his bakery. The cream-filled sponge cake invention was basically Dewar's effort to make the best of something he already owned.

Before Dewar ever made a Twinkie in his bakery, which The Washington Post says was called The Continental Baking Company back in the 1930s, he was making cream-filled strawberry shortcakes ... But there was a problem. Strawberries aren't in season year-round. In fact, their season is shockingly short in some areas of the country: Iowa State horticulture professor Dr. Gail Nonnecke told Better Homes & Gardens that strawberry season lasts "from mid-May to early July in the eastern and midwestern northern states" like Illinois, where Dewar lived.

In Dewar's bakery, there was a specific machine used only for making strawberry shortcakes, so when strawberries weren't in season, the machine just sat there collecting dust, per The Washington Post. If you didn't already do the math, that equates to about 46 idle weeks each year — but Dewar saw this lack of use as a golden opportunity, no pun intended. Instead of letting the machine (or the foot-pedalers who operated it, per a 2010 Hostess press release) remain inactive for the bulk of the year, he found a way to use it for what would later be called Twinkies.

The Chicago Tribune reported shortly after Dewar's death in 1985 that in his view, rather than let useful machinery sit idle, ”The economy was getting tight, and the company needed to come out with another low-priced item." Twinkies fit the bill perfectly. The Washington Post claims Dewar created a banana cream filling for the golden sponge cakes to fill the unused shortcake pans, since bananas are available through all four seasons versus having a traditional growing season like some other fruits, as Banana Link explains. 

That's right. Twinkies were originally filled with banana cream, but the Washington Post claims this was replaced by vanilla cream due to a banana shortage during a period of World War II rationing — another fruit supply issue that helped develop the innovative snack we love munching on today. The Twinkie creation was a hit, regardless of the filling flavor, and remains so to this day. In fact, according to Statista, 3.32 million Americans consumed at least eight Twinkies in 2020.

So if you're one of those 3.32 million (or are just a fan of Twinkies and strawberries), be grateful that those red berries aren't available all year — because if they were, the "best darn-tootin' idea" Mr. Dewar ever had wouldn't be around at all.