The ‘Worst Rated Dessert in the World’ Was Invented in Illinois

You can call this a little "Did You Know?" because the truth is, up until today, I had no idea they were invented in Illinois.

The delicious treat, the Twinkie, is one of the most beloved American foods in America.

At least I thought so until I stumbled upon Taste Atlas' ranking of the Worst Rated Desserts in the World. More on that in a second.

Did you know the Twinkie was invented in Illinois and that they were originally made with a banana cream?

The Culture Trip:

America’s favorite snack cake got its start in Schiller Park, Illinois – just outside of Chicago – when James Dewar, a manager for the Continental Baking Company, came up with a new idea for using strawberry shortcake pans after strawberry season was over. His plan? To bake the cakes and fill them with banana cream. Inspired by an advertisement for “Twinkle Toe Shoes,” Dewar dubbed the cakes “Twinkies” and sold them for five cents per package of two.

Taste Atlas says Twinkies are Illinois' Most Popular American Dish right behind Deep Dish Pizza. That's just how popular Twinkies are, or are they?

At the same time, Taste Atlas ranked Twinkies as the Worst Rated Dessert in the World. Not only that but Twinkies were rated the worst Midwestern dish and 5th worst dish overall in the entire world.

To me, Twinkies have always been fine. Just fine. I'm not sure if I'd rate them the best or the worst dessert, they're OK. I'm not alone either. 65% of people surveyed by Taste Atlas rated their love or hate of Twinkies as "Indifferent."