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MANY MOONS AGO… Before Moon Pies came on the Carnival scene in Mobile, early Mardi Gras throws (dating back to the 1800s) were typically French bonbons or trick prizes, like small bags of flour that burst when caught. These were eventually banned, and throws did not play much of a role in the celebration again until after World War II, when they became an increasingly integral part of Mardi Gras parades. In the 1940s and 1950s, taffy candy and serpentine (rolls of unraveling confetti) were the most common throws, and it was considered a feat to catch a whole roll of serpentine. “Throw me a whole roll, Mister!” became a common parade shout heard on the route. In the late 1950s, city officials banned serpentine, claiming that people choked on it, but some Mobilians insist the serpentine actually choked the gutters — not the people — and thus was a chore for the city to clean up. To replace the serpentine, float riders began throwing new items like rubber balls, beanbags, candy kisses, doubloons (coins bearing mystic society insignia), bags of peanuts, bubblegum, hard candies, Cracker Jack and, of course, Moon Pies. But it wasn’t until the early 1970s that Moon Pies assumed their prominence as the throw of Mobile’s Mardi Gras celebration; that’s when the city of Mobile banned Cracker Jack (the then- favorite Mardi Gras throw) because the sharp corners of the boxes were injuring spectators. Since they were soft, easy to throw and catch, and affordable — and had been a Southern favorite for decades — Moon Pies became the perfect substitute for the hard boxes of Cracker Jack. Embraced by the maskers on the floats for their economical value and by the spectators for their uniqueness, Moon Pies are still the most popular throw at Mobile’s Mardi Gras. - EMILY BLEJWAS

The chocolate is subtle, balancing the sweetness of the marshmallow. The graham cracker zigs where you’d expect it to zag. Rather than being crispy or crunchy, it yields to the bite — but is not chewy, exactly. It has a hint of firmness — a suggestion, really — just enough to match the outer chocolate layer, and it, too, brings balance to the texture of the soft marshmallow.

THE MISSION David W. Brown began contributing to Rouses magazine in 2018. He has produced a masterful, genre-defying narrative about modern space exploration, centered on the most ambitious science project ever conceived: NASA’s deep- space mission to Europa — the ocean moon of Jupiter, where the first known alien life in our solar system might swim. In the spirit of John McPhee and Tom Wolfe, The Mission follows a motley yet brilliant team of obsessives and eccentrics who are pushing the furthest frontiers of human exploration. The book comes out January 26, 2021. You can get it at your local independent bookseller or order it from Amazon.

MARDI GRAS TIME IN THE M.O.B. Somehow, Carnival (whether in Mobile, New Orleans, Cajun country or wherever revelry can be found on Fat Tuesday) manages to put its stamp on every genre of music to emerge from the Gulf Coast. “Mardi Gras Song” by Wesley and Whitney Grant — twin brothers who together are the Mobile-based rap duo 2 Major Twinz — is a familiar and beloved part of Mobile’s Carnival soundtrack. Its rattling

hi-hat, booming brass and celebratory lyrics (“Moon pie, moon pie, throw me some beads/It’s Mardi Gras time in the MOB!”) make it a dependable spin for live DJs who want to hype up crowds before parades. Mobile’s main hip-hop and R&B station, 93BLX-FM, drops it into heavy rotation during the party season. - ALISON FENSTERSTOCK

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