Zoo Pie
Improvised prison comfort food.
This comfort food can be made using ingredients that can be purchased at a prison commissary. One common example is a bag of Fritos Corn-chips with canned chili poured over the Fritos while still in the bag — the bag being split open from top to bottom being used as a plate/container for the “Zoo Pie”.
But, they are many variants including using crispy ramen noodles, potato chips, kettle chips, or pretzels. The only limitations are creativity and having money put into your commissary fund by the four “F’s”: friend, family, fellow gang members, or a faithful wife or lover who hasn’t yet succumbed to loneliness and infidelity while you are inside. Commissary can also be deposited through lucrative prison activity outside of the scope of this definition.
The concept enters popular culture through the final season of Atlanta season 4 episode 1 where it is used as a clue to a scavenger hunt that leads Paper Boi to a “pop up memorial service” for experimental rapper Blue Blood.
Blue Blood was famous — in life — for dropping hints for impromptu concerts and appearances. Paper Boi hears the term “Zoo Pie” in the lyric of a Blue Boy song and orders one — not knowing what it is — from the BBQ joint shouted out in the Blue Boi rap song.
This comfort food can be made using ingredients that can be purchased at a prison commissary. One common example is a bag of Fritos Corn-chips with canned chili poured over the Fritos while still in the bag — the bag being split open from top to bottom being used as a plate/container for the “Zoo Pie”.
But, they are many variants including using crispy ramen noodles, potato chips, kettle chips, or pretzels. The only limitations are creativity and having money put into your commissary fund by the four “F’s”: friend, family, fellow gang members, or a faithful wife or lover who hasn’t yet succumbed to loneliness and infidelity while you are inside. Commissary can also be deposited through lucrative prison activity outside of the scope of this definition.
The concept enters popular culture through the final season of Atlanta season 4 episode 1 where it is used as a clue to a scavenger hunt that leads Paper Boi to a “pop up memorial service” for experimental rapper Blue Blood.
Blue Blood was famous — in life — for dropping hints for impromptu concerts and appearances. Paper Boi hears the term “Zoo Pie” in the lyric of a Blue Boy song and orders one — not knowing what it is — from the BBQ joint shouted out in the Blue Boi rap song.
Man! I’ve been out for a minute but I still like to eat me a Zoo Pie now that I’m home. It’s one of the best memories of being inside. Everybody can’t make themselves a Zoo Pie. You have to have commissary to eat them joints!!!!!!
Zoo Pie by Mind Hunter the Profiler November 15, 2022
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