Expanding on their knowledge of creative writing styles, English teacher Jessica Nastasi’s students looked forward to their newest activity: taste-testing unusual flavors of Peeps. On March 21, the class sampled four different flavors of the springtime marshmallows before ranking and describing them in the style of an engaging food review.  

“I was in the store, and I saw all these bizarre different types of Peeps,” Creative Writing teacher Mrs. Nastasi said. “I thought about food writing and the creative writing aspect of the class…I had never done [Peep tasting] before and thought I’d give it a try.”

To teach students how sensory language can be used to describe often bland topics, Mrs. Nastasi asked students to write about their opinions on the candy using a mixture of engaging adjectives and anecdotes. The activity started with the tasting of the fruit punch-flavored Peep, whose success sparked contention among the class.

“My best Peep would be Fruit Punch because after a few bites the fruitiness flavor would punch you,” junior Allyson Ryan said. “It reminded me of Fruit Punch Gatorade.”

While some of the classmates thought the taste was pleasantly reminiscent of a refreshing drink, others thought it suggested more of a medicinal taste.

“Fruit Punch, sadly, didn’t make its way into my heart, as its flavoring was so strong that it was artificial and the fake fruity flavoring reminded me of Tylenol,” sophomore Hajer Romdhani wrote.

Party Cake was widely regarded as one of the worst flavors featured, as the deviation from its intended source left something to be desired for many of the students.

“The dullness of flavor along with its artificial taste made it my least favorite,” senior Miguel Mayor said. “It tasted very similar to the frosting of store-bought cake but just toned down. It left an odd taste in my mouth as well.”

The Hot Tamales flavor flared up the most excitement among Creative Writing students as the tasters were eager to see whether the candy-inspired Peep was just as delicious as its widely-popular inspiration. 

“It was almost like you had eaten a little spoonful of cinnamon,” Ryan wrote. “The aftertaste of cinnamon sprinkle stayed with you.”

Cotton Candy received mixed reviews among the class. Many of the writers were reminded of happy memories when enjoying the sweet treat. 

“As soon as this one hit my mouth I immediately thought of Lucky Charms,” Mayor said. “The familiar taste in my mouth was nostalgic and brought me back to Lucky Charms before school. Off of pure nostalgia, I ranked this one number two.”

Mayor’s classmates had a different impression of the flavor, citing it to be a disappointment in both texture and flavor.  

“My third favorite would have to be Cotton Candy,” Romdhani said. “Ironically, the first thing I tasted was bubblegum, and the texture of the soft marshmallow oddly cemented that fact into my brain.”

Mrs. Nastasi’s fun and creative way of teaching students about reviewing food was a successful way for students to use enticing vocabulary and a more sophisticated voice. Additionally, the students of Stone Bridge can read the opinions of the class to help decide a next Peep purchase and perhaps even tasting the flavors for themselves.

“I paid more attention to the texture and being descriptive,” junior Samina Nawal Mouhamad said. “It was a really fun idea.”