A Whoopie Pie dessert at the Drake BBQ located at 1142 Queen St. West. Made with chocolate cake cookies and icing in the middle, it apparently elicits cries of 'whoopie' upon eatingFred Lum/The Globe and Mail
The seemingly innocuous whoopie pie is creating a stir in the state of Maine.
Legislators are proposing to adopt the frosting-filled cake sandwich as Maine's official state dessert, an idea that's leaving some with a bitter taste in their mouths.
Opposing the "whoopie pie bill," state representative Donald Pilon claimed the snack is little more than a "frosting delivery vehicle," according to The Boston Globe.
"At a time when 31.3 per cent of Maine's children are considered overweight or obese, do we want to glorify a dessert that lists lard as its primary ingredient?" he said, suggesting a "healthier" alternative would be to adopt wild blueberry pie.
While the nutritional value of blueberry pie is an entirely different debate, there is some dispute over where whoopie pies originated; some believe Pennsylvania is its real birthplace. As frivolous as the dessert bill may seem, it's serious business for whoopie pie manufacturers, who claim official state designation can help them promote their product and draw more tourists to Maine, The Boston Globe reports.
Other states, too, have official desserts. According to the food site Chow.com, Pennsylvania's official state cookie is chocolate chip, Massachusetts's state dessert is the Boston cream pie, Florida's is the key lime pie, Missouri's is the ice cream cone, and Utah's official snack is Jell-O.
If Canada had official provincial desserts, what would they be?
Wency Leung