NEW YORK – Twinkie lovers, get ready to go bananas.
The sweet treat known for its golden spongy cake and its creamy vanilla center is returning to its roots with banana-creme filling – the flavor that first made the snack a hit more than 70 years ago.
Hostess began selling the banana-creme cakes last week.
Old-timers may remember the taste from the pre-World War II years. From 1930, when the Twinkie was invented, to the 1940s, Twinkies were filled with banana creme. But a banana shortage during the war forced Hostess to replace it with vanilla.
Hostess has reintroduced the flavor during limited-time promotions in the past, but was finally convinced to make the flavor part of its lineup for good after offering it for four weeks last year for the release of the movie “King Kong.” Total Twinkie sales jumped 20 percent during the promotion.
Hostess sells more than a half-billion Twinkies each year.
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