The origin of Twinkies dates back to 1930 when James Dewar, a baker for the Continental Baking Company in Schiller Park, Illinois, invented them. At the time, the company was making strawberry shortcake, but the machines used to produce the sponge cakes sat idle when strawberries were out of season. Dewar sought to use the equipment year-round and came up with the idea of filling the small, golden sponge cakes with banana cream.

Twinkies quickly became popular, but during World War II, banana shortages forced the company to switch to vanilla cream, which became the standard filling. Over the decades, Twinkies became an iconic American snack, with changes in ownership, temporary discontinuation in 2012 due to Hostess Brands’ bankruptcy, and a relaunch in 2013 under new ownership.

Today, Twinkies are a cultural phenomenon, appearing in movies, TV shows, and even survivalist lore due to their supposed long shelf life.