Clark Boyd

Clark Boyd

Clark Boyd is a reporter for The World. From advances in technology to the ups and downs of the markets, he has reported from many different countries for the show. He is now based out of the Boston newsroom.

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No Twinkies? No Problem: The Rising Power of Mexico’s ‘Grupo Bimbo’

November 20, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment
Gansito snack cakes from Grupo Bimbo

Looking for a Twinkie substitute? Try "Gansito" snack cakes from Mexico's Grupo Bimbo

Our newsroom, and pretty much the entire internet, has been abuzz the past few days with news of the possible demise of the humble Twinkie, that golden snack cake with the creamy filling. Hostess, the company that makes Twinkies (and many other baked goods like Wonder Bread) looked set to close down. Last minute negotiations between management and staff may yet save the company.

But it got us thinking: Are there other global snacks out there like Twinkies? Substitutes that we might turn to in our hour of need? It turns out that Mexican baking giant “Bimbo” has a much beloved snack cake of its own…called Gansito, Spanish for “little goose.”

We hear more Rachel Laudan, who authors a blog called A Historian’s Take on Food and Food Politics. She lives in Austin, Texas.


Discussion

20 comments for “No Twinkies? No Problem: The Rising Power of Mexico’s ‘Grupo Bimbo’”

  • http://www.sohrob.com Sohrob Tahmasebi

    Gansito cabrones!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=671027492 Michael Patrick O’Neill

    Everyone is talking about Twinkies but what about the Choco-dile!?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocodile

    More similar to the Gansito then the Twinkie.

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/stefan_e_jones/ Stefan Jones

    I admire Grupo Bimbo’s ambition and dedication to modern baking and distribution techniques. Their “Orowheat” bread is pretty good.

    But I have to say . . . I once tried a “Gansito,” and it was awful. Specifically, the chocolate coating. I ate half of one, and offered the other  half to my dog. She picked it up and kind of rolled it around in her mouth, then dropped it and gave me a dirty look.

    • Luis X

      Are you trying to kill your dog? Dogs can’t eat chocolate, they get theobromine poisoning and keel over.

      • http://www.flickr.com/photos/stefan_e_jones/ Stefan Jones

        You are correct. Chocolate is toxic to dogs. It takes more than most people expect, though . . . a big dog like mine could eat a Hershey bar and get away with a very upset stomach.

        But the crud on the outside of Gansitos has a minuscule amount of actual chocolate. Artificially flavored.

  • Luis X

    Bimbo’s “Answer to Twinkies” isn’t Gansitos, it’s “Submarinos”: Plain yellow snack cakes with vainilla (or strawberry) cream filling (0:19 in the video, the pastry to the left of the Gansito). 

    • Alpine_Joy

       I saw the same thing. Have you eaten Submarinos?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Walter-Fox/1418567331 Walter Fox

    Interestingly Grupo Bimbo in the U.S. includes brands such as “Sara Lee” (Every body doen’t like something, but nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee)

  • Natalia

    Es posible que Hostess no puedan continuar negocios.  Hay muchos problems con los jefes y los trabajadores.  Pero si puedan resolvar los problems, no mas Twinkies! La compania Bimbo tiene productos como los productos de Hostess.  La compania tienen muchos productos populares en los Estados Unidos.  Si Hostess pierda su negocios, Bimbo gana mas popularidad.  

  • Rosa

    Pienso que la empresa de Bimbo pueda viajar a los estados unidos y vender Gansitos, porque los están como Twinkies.  Hostess no es la única empresa, y fácilmente Bimbo  puede asumir el control.  No veo el problema, y no necesitamos tener Hostess para vivir.

  • Isa

    I think if Bimbo decided to sell in America it would be successful because we no longer have Hostess. If Hostess is no longer a company I think Bimbo could become popular.

  • Ana

    i think it would be a good idea to sell the Bimbo brand in the US. People like being able to try new food and without hostess there is a little less competition.

  • JorgeD

    Quiero un Twinki ahora.  Es muy triste que Hostess no hace los postres deliciosos.  Twinkis no esta razon para obesidad infantil.  Pienso que Bimbo debe hacer un trato comercial.  No quiero un mundo sin Twinkis. 

  • Carmen

    No sé qué pensar de este artículo.  Me gusta Hostess pero yo pienso que es curioso que esta compañía mexicana propietaria de tantas empresas.  Van a hacerse cargo de Hostess?  No sé pero la idea es interesante.

  • PMG15

    I like that this company is trying to become the substitute for Hostess. I think it would be very successful if it came into America. Now that Hostess is gone, there are only a couple of major companies to compete with.

  • rosario

    Estoy de aquerdo con Natalia. Tambien yo pienso que Hostess esta cerando porque no estan haciendo los negocio. Otros companias estan haciendo los negocios y la hente estan olvidando de Hostess. Hoy no es un compania muy especial y hay otros companies que la hente le gustan.

  • Tomas

    Nunca he tenido un “Twinkie,” asi no tengo mucho experiencia con el producto, y tambien con los otros productos de Hostess.  Yo se que no estan buenos y saludes para el cuerpo, pero estan baratos y muchos personas compraban los productos para esta razon.  No es una buena cosa que Hostess esta cerrando porque 18, 500 personas van a perder sus trabajos, pero esta buena para la salud de la gente y tambien para companias como Gansito que quieren vender sus productos.  Abre muchos oportunidades para otros companias a tener exito en los Estados Unidos, pero si los productos estan malos para el cuerpo tambien, posiblemente no es una buena cosa.  Yo no se, pero veremos.

  • Stephanie Johnson

    Nunca me gustó Hostess. No me importaba que la empresa se ​​declaró en quiebra.  Pero es posible que la empresa de Bimbo hace que el beneficio por que las errores de Hostess. Pero, la empresa de Bimbo necesita ampliar en las Estados Unidos por que yo nunca lo oído. Tal vez, Bimbo seria popular despues de Hostess se termina.  

  • http://www.facebook.com/alejandro.perezaranda.7 Alejandro Perez Aranda

    Gansitos congelados, se acuerdan cuando venian con un palito de paleta??

  • http://www.facebook.com/alejandro.perezaranda.7 Alejandro Perez Aranda

    Gansitos congelados, se acuerdan cuando venian con un palito de paleta??