The Foodie Origins of Some of Our Favorite Muppets

by Monika Bartyzel, Posted Jan 5th 2009 @ 5:00PM

Between Sesame Street and The Muppets, Jim Henson brought a myriad of lovable, furry creatures to our television sets. But did you know that some of them were food-based? My friend recently alerted me to a Mental Floss post that outlines the origins of some of our favorite Muppets, which also happens to reveal some fun foodie tidbits.

The Swedish Chef is, of course, the most obvious. While it can't be confirmed, there's a Swedish chef -- Lars "Kuprik" Bäckman -- who claims that he is the Swedish Chef. I wonder if he borka borka borkas? If not, I'd question his validity. But beyond the crazy chef, there's also the Cookie Monster, who has food ties that go well beyond his sugar-addicted name; he was a monster created for a General Foods commercial in the 1960s that was never used. The same goes for Rowlf the Dog. He was originally created in the '60s -- this time for Purina commercials.

I wonder ... are there any current food commercial characters that will become beloved childhood characters one day?

Filed Under: Television/Film, Celebrities
Tags: Jim Henson, JimHenson, Muppets, Sesame Street, SesameStreet