Peeps Fans Sweet on Easter

Brightly colored, sticky-sweet marshmallow Peeps have spawned a cult following unparalleled in the candy world. Aficionados of the line of Easter treats—ranging from sun-yellow chicks to bunnies and tulips—have created bizarre videos, Internet fan sites, diorama contests, and a microwave jousting game, the Palm Beach Post reports.

In the jousting match, two Peeps armed with toothpicks face off in the microwave; the last one standing wins. There are also Peeps-eating contests, Peeps haikus, and Peeps travelogues. All this devotion fuels annual sales of 1.5 billion Peeps, whose recipe remains a closely guarded secret. Pennsylvania manufacturer Just Born covers the Peeps-making machinery with a black cloth when visitors call.