CandyFavorites

Skittles - Taste the Rainbow

Sharabilty: 8

Denture Danger: 5

Convenience: 6

Novelty: 7

Overall: 9

Skittles, taste the rainbow. The rainbow of chewy, fruity, sweet shelled candy pellets stamped with the letter ‘s.’ Skittles originated in Europe by an English company in 1974 and were fist imported into the United States in 1979. The original flavors are grape, lemon, lime, orange, and strawberry. Skittles is also a lawn game played in Europe, a game similar to bowling.

In the summer months I know we’ve all eagerly accepted a small handful of Skittles from our friend with the bag and had them start to melt in our sweaty hand only to be left with a mouthful of juicy Skittles and a rainbow colored palm.

“Skittles, taste the rainbow” rings in my ears every time I think of Skittles (so I guess they did a good job at coming up with a catchy slogan). As a kid, I remember watching the Skittles commercial where a guy plants a handful of Skittles, which soon results in Skittles pouring down from the rainbow in the sky above. I’m sure everyone has had their fantasy that this has actually happened; in fact I bet some of you have planted a few Skittles in your backyard just hoping that maybe the commercial wasn’t so farfetched.

I know that I have buried those Skittles only to be disappointed in the lack of Skittles falling from the sky. We can’t obtain Skittles by going outside with a bucket, but luckily we have bulk candy websites (like candyfavorites) where we can buy tons of this fruity candy and maybe even simulate our own rainfall of Skittles.

Fun facts: 
Outside the United States, purple is blackcurrant.
In South Korea, Australia, and Taiwan, green apple replaces lime as the green Skittle.

Life Savers Wint-0-Green

Sharability: 10

Denture Danger: 9 (if you aren’t just using it as a breath mint)

Convenience: 10

Novelty: 6

Overall: 9

Wint-O-Green Lifesavers are more than just a sweet wintergreen taste-bud-tingler, and they are more than just a breath mint, this candy is a science lesson.

If you take these lifesavers into a pitch-black room (a bathroom usually works the best) you can watch science in action. I find it works best with a friend because then you can share the feeling of amazement, but it also works if you are by yourself and look in the mirror.

In the darkened room chew the lifesaver with your mouth open and if you get the right crunch your friend will see sparks of blue light making your mouth glow.

The reason you see these sparks is because of an effect called triboluminescence. Triboluminescence is emission of light as a result of something being crushed or torn, in this case, crystalline sugars. When the candy is crushed electrons are released and these electrons collide with nitrogen molecules in the air, which causes a vibration that results in an ultraviolet spark.

The ultraviolet light that is produced is mostly non-visible, but a small amount is visible which is why sometimes other sugar candies create faint sparks when you bite into them.

The Wint-O-Green lifesaver creates a bright flash because the flavoring, methyl salicylate (a.k.a. wintergreen oil), is florescent. We don’t have to go into wavelengths and all that, but basically the wintergreen oil absorbs the ultraviolet (invisible) light and takes it over, emitting sparks of visible blue light. Crazy, isn’t it? So, before you plop one of these minty sweet lifesavers into your mouth just for the mere taste, share one with a friend, turn off the lights, and show them the magic of science.

A vintage t-shirt with the Kit Kat logo circa 1980

Sharability: 4

Denture Danger: 2

Convenience: 5

Novelty: 9

Overall: 9

“Give me a break, give me a break, break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar!” When I was a kid I always replaced “bar” in that song with “cake,” I just thought the rhyme was necessary.

The Kit Kat is a crispy wafer covered in milk chocolate. This is one of those candies that I always forget how good it is until I take a bite and then I just can’t stop munching. With the melty chocolate and the crunchy wafer it is just too good. Sometimes I like to bite the chocolate off from around the wafer and then bite the layers off of the wafer; it makes it last a little longer that way.

The idea for the Kit Kat bar originated from a in a suggestion box response at the Rowntree factory that recommended a snack that a ‘man could have in his lunch box for work.’ Thus the Chocolate Crisp was produced by Rowntree in 1935.

In 1937 it became Kit Kat Chocolate Crisp and became Kit Kat after WWII. The name came from the KitKat club, which was a political/literary club in the 18th century. Rowntree was bought by Nestlé in 1988, and is now produced by Nestlé worldwide. The United States is too good to be like the rest of the world and instead has the Hershey Company producing the Kit Kat bars.

Fun Kit Kat Facts:
- Kit Kat was the number one selling biscuit in the UK last year selling over one billion Kit Kats.
- Kit Kats have not always been recognized by their red wrapper. During WWII there were milk shortages and the Kit Kat was made with dark chocolate and wore a blue wrapper.
-  Kit Kat made the 1997 Guinness Book of World Records by selling 13.2 billion Kit Kats worldwide in 1995.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kit_Kat
http://kitkat.co.uk/past/

A vintage Baby Ruth Candy Bar advertisement from when the company was owned by Curtis Candy Company

Sharability: 3

Denture Danger: 9

Convenience: 5

Novelty: 9

Overall: 8

As a kid, candies with nuts in them always detracted me. I don’t know if I thought nuts were too healthy to be in candy, or if I didn’t like crunch, but all I know now is that with my maturing taste buds I can’t complain about peanuts in my candy.

As described on the wrapper, each Baby Ruth is “bursting with peanuts, rich caramel, and chewy nougat.” A bite of a Baby Ruth is definitely a mouth full. In my experience, the caramel is described as rich not because the caramel has a rich flavor, but because this candy bar is rich with caramel. I’d describe this candy as a long chunk of caramel, a little bit of that chewy nougat, both covered in a thin layer of chocolate, and yes, bursting with peanuts. I actually had trouble finding the nougat physically and in taste but I only assume the ultra chewiness is enhanced by the “chewy nougat.”

Otto Schnering founded the Curtis Candy Company in Chicago in 1916. He used his mother’s maiden name for the company because he didn’t want his candy stigmatized by his German sounding name. The Curtis Company introduced the Baby Ruth in 1921. Curtis Company was transferred to the hands of Nabisco, and then to the current holder, Nestlé.

Baby Ruth’s name is commonly believed to have been influenced by the famous baseball player known as Babe Ruth—and this may in fact be true—but the Curtis Candy Company wants us to believe that the Baby Ruth was named after President Grover Cleveland’s daughter, Ruth, nicknamed “Baby Ruth.” I do find it a bit suspicious; the Baby Ruth came out as Babe Ruth’s fame was growing over twenty years after Grover Cleveland was out of office and 17 years after “Baby Ruth’s” death.

I have reason to believe that the Curtis Company used Cleveland’s daughter as a loophole in order to avoid paying Babe Ruth any royalties. Not to mention that Baby Ruth has followed a baseball theme in its advertising campaign… Well, I don’t know if the true influence of the name will ever be known, or if the answer even lies in one of these two theories. Regardless of name origin, Baby Ruth’s will be sure to add a crunch to your chew and a crumb to your lap.

Fun Fact: (I had to put this one in for a shout out to the city of champions):
In 1923, thousands of Baby Ruth bars parachuted out of a plane (with the help of Otto Schnering) to fall over the city of Pittsburgh. (Yes each candy bar had a mini parachute attached to it).

Sources:
http://www.babyruth.com/
http://www.snopes.com/business/names/babyruth.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_Ruth

Clark Bars are a true retro candy and hail from Pittsburgh which is home to CandyFavorites.com

Sharability: 3

Denture Danger: 6 (It’s sure to get stuck in your teeth)

Convenience: 5

Novelty: 10

Overall: 9

The Clark Bar is—as it says on the wrapper—“Chocoaltey Coated Peanut Butter Crunch.” I guess you could say this is Necco’s version of the Butterfinger. The filling is slightly different than the Butterfinger, however. The Clark bar has a little soft peanut butter snuck into the crunchy, flakey, filling which adds an extra bit of peanut buttery goodness.

In second grade I had a teacher named Mrs. Clark, naturally, her favorite candy was the Clark bar. I brought in a bag of Clark bars for the class and she took every wrapper and hung them around the bulletin board on the wall. Now Mrs. Clark was an advocate of the Clark bar, but she wasn’t the inventor.

Irish-born, David L. Clark, was a guy just trying to make a living like the rest of us. He went through working at a variety of jobs including at a fish market, an art glass factory, and a paint manufacturer. He founded the Clark Company in 1886 in two rooms of a small house in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, what is now the North Side of Pittsburgh.

The company continued to grow and was soon producing some of the nation’s favorite candies. Clark’s company experimented with ingredients such as coconut, mint, and peanut butter, which had never been used in candies before. Some of the most delicious and most popular of these innovative creations were the Clark bar and the Zagnut bar.

The Zagnut bar is basically the exact same thing as the Clark bar, but instead of the flakey peanut butter being coated in chocolate, it is coated in a sweet coconut shell. I know that there are a lot of people out there who don’t like coconut in their candies, but  before you make that claim, try the Zagnut bar. The coconut flavor is far from overwhelming, and incorporates an excellent additional flavor to the crunchy peanut butter.

The Clark Company changed hands quite a bit. It was sold to the Beatrice Food Company in 1955, Leaf Inc. in 1983, renamed to Clark Bar America in 1995, and bought again by New England Confectionary Company (NECCO) in 1999, which is where it thrives today.

I feel like the Clark Bar and the Zagnut bar have declined in popularity in comparison to their cousin, the Butterfinger. I know that I had never even heard of the Zagnut bar until now and I think that is a shame. Not only is this candy an ultimate classic, not only was this candy originally produced in Pittsburgh (my home town), but this candy, along with his brother the Clark bar is absolutely delicious. So next time you are craving a Butterfinger, think back to David Clark and the struggles he must have gone through to create the delicious candy bar that is undoubtedly the candy that influenced the creation of the Butterfinger.  

Source:
http://www.necco.com/ourbrands/default.asp?brandid=9

This is a box of Mason Dots Circa 1970's prior to Mason being purchased by Tootsie Roll Industries

Sharability: 8

Denture Danger: 9

Convenience: 8

Novelty: 7

Overall: 8

My first Dots memory took place around 1997. I was seven, my brother, Ben, was ten and we were at the CVS (drug store) near our house. Ben picked up a box of Dots and held it to his chest and said, “I’m addicted to Dots!” Naturally, I did the same exact thing; I picked up a box of Dots, held it to my chest and exclaimed, “I’m addicted to Dots!” I soon realized that, though Dots are tasty, they aren’t my favorite candy and I’m surely not addicted to them. This is one candy that is definitely not reluctant to get stuck in your teeth.

Each one of these extra chewy, smooth, gumdrop shaped candies is bursting with flavor whether it be cherry, strawberry, lemon, lime, or orange. 

Dots hit the market in 1945 with Mason and since then they have been America’s number one selling gumdrop brand.

 Tootsie bought out Mason in 1972 and now produces over four billion Dots every year, making sure to prevent its addicts from suffering from withdrawal. 

http://www.tootsie.com/products.php?pid=129
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dots_(candy)

A vintage box of Ferrara Pan Jawbreakers - the candy is now known as a Jawbuster!

Sharability: 10

Denture Danger: 10 (if you try and chew it)

Convenience: 8

Novelty: 8

Overall: 4

It puzzles me to think how a candy marketed as “Jaw Breakers” is and has been so successful. It seems like it would have gone out of business with the cigarette company called “death” and Chevy Nova car in Latin America, which translates to “it doesn’t go.” I think the brand name almost comes off as a challenge to kids. The kids who have managed to have bite into a Jawbuster without breaking their teeth in the process have something to brag about (though I’m sure kids would love brag about how they broke their tooth trying to bite into a jawbreaker, “It didn’t break my jaw like it was supposed to!”).

I am reluctant to call this candy by its name, Jaw Busters because growing up they were always called Jaw Breakers. I think the Jaw Breakers began to go a bit unnoticed (which isn’t surprising considering the danger implied by trying to bite into one) so Ferrara Pan changed the name to “Jaw Busters, the original Jaw Breakers.” They call it the original Jaw Breakers because jawbreakers used to be a generic term thrown around by candy companies as any hard candy and Ferrara Pan took that name and created a product.

Jaw Busters are created with the same rotating pan process as lemon heads and atomic fireballs, but the Jaw Buster process is a little more intense. The process of adding more sugar to the pan is repeated over 100 times in a 14 to 19 day period, which is why this candy isn’t so easy bite into. Don’t try and prove yourself worthy for any reason by attempting to bite into one of these candies because even if you don’t break your jaw, you could hurt your jaw or break a tooth and I don’t think biting into any candy is worth that sacrifice (which is why I don’t know how this candy is still in the market). So, eat at your own risk.

Marshmallow Peanuts are one of the oldest candies and few people know that the flavor is banana!

Sharability: 10

Denture Danger: 2

Convenience: 6

Novelty: 9

Overall: 5

Also known as a circus peanut, this orange peanut shaped marshmallow became one of the first penny candies after it was introduced in the mid 1800s.

To be honest, I never understood why everyone liked these things so much. Yes they have a good texture, and yes they are a classic, but what I don’t understand is why the peanut shaped marshmallow taste like artificial banana. It just doesn’t make sense.

 If you are a fan of marshmallows that taste like bananas, then this candy might be your calling. Unless you are trying to relive memories from the past, this almost sickeningly sweet confectionary won’t leave you very satisfied.

In 1963 man named John Holahan discovered that the shavings of the circus peanut are a delicious addition to breakfast cereal. Mr. Holahan was coincidentally the vice president of General Mills and these marshmallow shavings were the influence to creating the first cereal with marshmallow bits (marbits) and one of everyone’s favorite cereals, Lucky Charms.

For some reason the Lucky Charms marshmallows were created without that banana flavoring. If only the Lucky Charms’ marshmallows were enlarged to the size of the circus peanut… now that would be profitable product.

(You can get them individually wrapped too!)

An advertisement for Twix Bars when they were first released!

Sharability: 2

Denture Danger: 5

Convenience: 5

Novelty: 6

Overall: 9

Chocolate… mmmmm. Cookie… mmmmm. Caramel… mmmmm. All three together in one bar… MMMMMMM. If you say something you wish you hadn’t “Chew it over with a Twix” while you think of the right thing to say, and it probably isn’t “Two for me, none for you.” The crunchy, chewy Twix comes in a package with two bars.

 I’m sure there are a few super generous people out there who share one of the bars and keep only one for himself, but Twix are so delectable and delicious that it takes a strong willed person to give up half of the candy.

Mars’ Twix was introduced into the United States in 1979, two years after it was first produced in the UK. Twix are sold all over the world. The candy was actually called Raider in a lot of European countries before the name was changed to match the international brand name in 1991.

I would say that the original Twix is a homerun while Twix PB is more of single hitter. I was expecting Twix PB the normal Twix with peanut butter added into the mix, but I was unpleasantly surprised to bite into a caramel free bar.

Twix PB is a chocolate cookie, with peanut butter replacing the caramel, all covered in milk chocolate. I’m not saying it isn’t good, but when a candy bar is being marketed under the Twix name, amazing things are to be expected, and the PB just doesn’t cut it.

Listen to me and listen to the commercial satisfy your soul with a “Creamy creamy chocolate creamy, chewy chewy caramel chewy, crunchy crunchy cookie crunchy, Twix, it’s all in the mix.”

Who doesn't love the taste of a creamy Cadbury Caramello Bar?

Sharability: 2

Denture Danger: 3

Convenience: 4

Novelty: 6

Overall: 10

If you are one of those people that get a boosted ego from kids thinking you gave out the best candy on Halloween, then go out and buy a couple boxes of Caramellos. I don’t believe I’ve ever gotten a Caramello in my Halloween bag, but if I did I’m sure I was ecstatic.

This candy seems to have sort of flown under the radar and hasn’t quite made it to the popularity level of the Snickers, Reese’s, Kit Kat, Milky Way and those kinds of candies. But in quality, this Cadbury candy is at the same if not a higher level than those.

The Cadbury Caramello comes in four milk chocolate squares filled with a stringy almost liquid caramel. When you break one square off from the others, that string of caramel connects the two, and when you bite into one you usually can’t prevent a little caramel from sticking to your lips and chin.

I remember this as being my older brother, David’s, favorite candy and so naturally I wanted it to be my favorite candy too. That wasn’t too difficult to make happen. One bite into this milk chocolatey, creamy caramely piece of candy and I immediately fell in love.

And for those of you that pronounce caramel as carmel, here is proof that you are pronouncing it incorrectly. You don’t pronounce this candy as carmello, it is pronounced how it is spelled, carAmello.