I started this slideshow in part because the teaser pic made me want a Twinkie, and I ended it, well...wanting one just an eensy bit little less.

What's in a Twinkie?

Apparently, 37 ingredients, some of which you have to buy at a chemical supply store.













[Photographer Dwight] Eschliman says to keep in mind that minuscule portions of these ingredients are used and his intention isn't to scare you and make you feel as if eating a Twinkie will give you cancer. Rather he wants people to think twice about what they're eating and seek out more foods with familiar and fresh ingredients.

Scientists always say that we need to remember that even a food laden with chemicals that are approved for consumption in that product as a whole can be toxic when used in conjunction with other chemical products. Dan White aside, wonder what happens to the chemicals in a Twinkie when you deep fat fry it? I shared one years ago with 3 other people and we couldn't finish it. Like Eschliman and his chemicals, I felt sick just being in its proximity.

But that's deep fried.

James Dewar, the inventor of Twinkies, said at age 83 that he ate 3 Twinkies a day, and fed them to his children and grandchildren. I ate two a week for years (one on the car ride home, and one I saved for later that day) when my dad would take me to the grocery store on Saturdays and let me choose anything from the Hostess rack I wanted. It's a treasured memory for me.

Result? Good times sometimes trump. Maybe I'll see if I can choke one down later. :P