Mallomars
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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 even brags about it, with a short story printed on Mallomar boxes.
Mallomars melt easily in summer temperatures and can become difficult to find. 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, which have large populations of expat New York Jews.
Similar cookies
Mallomars are very similar to the traditional Jewish 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.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.
British Wagon Wheels are not exact, 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 - almost identical in shape, size and taste in fact - teatime biscuits, made originally by small localized manufacturers, but now, most are made by Burtons Foods.
Dangerous environments
Warm environments are not the only dangerous ones for Mallomars and their cousins. 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.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 (very dark brown) 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.
- In an episode of Roseanne, Roseanne Connor (Roseanne Barr) discovers a box of Mallomars as she is just beginning a diet.
- 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 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 being a "chocolate" city during the 2005 flood of that City.
- Mallowmars 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."
External links
- [Food Timeline: History notes]
- [Salon.com: a brief reminiscence of Mallomars]
- ["The Cookie That Comes Out in the Cold"] at The New York Times
- [Whippet website] - in French
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