The whoopie pie war is on.
Pennsylvania residents are planning to hold a rally Saturday to protect their heritage and claim the whoopie pie as their own. The event is being organized by Lancaster resident Nick Martin in response to recent events in Maine, where lawmakers are seeking to designate the whoopie pie as the official treat of Maine. About 80 residents are planning to attend and support the cakey treat stuffed with a creamy filling, according to a new Facebook group “Rally to Save Our Whoopie!” (The image with this post was provided by this group.)
“I feel like I’ve got whoopie pies running through my veins,” Martin said in a phone interview today. “We’re trying to send a message to the general public and the state of Maine that this is something we claim as our heritage.”Amos Orcutt, president of the Maine Whoopie Pie Association, said he’s surprised to hear about the rally and offered his apologies for starting an interstate squabble.
“I’m sorry I’ve upset the whole state of Pennsylvania,” Orcutt said. “The Maine Whoopie Pie Association is really a very peaceful group, and we mean no harm.”
Orcutt also suggested a compromise, given that the Downeasters call the confections “whoopies” and some Pennsylvania residents describe them as “gobs.”
“I propose we have a negotiated settlement. Pennsylvania can have the gobs and we can have the whoopie pies,” Orcutt said.
Lancaster’s local paper recently urged Pennsylvania’s new governor to take the whoopie pie up as one of his first causes.
The whoopie pie has also divided Mainers. Lawmakers initially proposed a bill to anoint the baked good as the state’s official dessert. But some residents and legislators raised concerns over glorifying such an indulgence, given the high rate of obesity in Maine. Others felt wild blueberry pie would make a healthier alternative as the state’s official dessert while staying true to Maine’s roots as a top grower of wild blueberries.
A compromise emerged from the State and Local Government Committee on Monday, when lawmakers approved an amendment to make the whoopie pie the state’s official treat, rather than the state’s official dessert. Next, the whoopie pie will have to face a vote before the full State Legislature.
By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff