Test your Valentine’s Day knowledge for this special Trivia Tuesday!
Candy Trivia, Valentine's Candy
Trivia Tuesday – Valentine’s Day Edition!
February 13, 2024 by Hannah Brelsford
Candy History, Candy Trivia, Hannah Brelsford's Sweet Thoughts, Valentine's Candy
Let’s Have a Conversation and Learn About Conversation Hearts Candy on Today’s Trivia Tuesday!
February 6, 2024 by Hannah Brelsford
Find the perfect conversation starter in a our collection of Candy Conversation Hearts!
Valentine's Candy
Your Ultimate Gift Guide for All Your Valentine’s
January 24, 2024 by Hannah Brelsford
While Valentine’s Day is most commonly reserved for romantic Valentine’s, anyone can be celebrated.
Your siblings, parents, other family members, romantic partners, and friends can be your Valentine.
Sometimes, it can be hard to know what to get for all your Valentine’s, so we created a Valentine’s gift guide with the top three candies for each type of Valentine to make it easier for you to buy them!
ROMANTIC PARTNERS
They are the most common people who consider Valentine’s, so original gifts are hard to come by, but we have some for you.
● Brach’s Large Conversation Hearts to get the conversation going!
● Palmer Valentine The Bachelor Rose with Chocolate Heart, so they get your final rose.
● Cherry Juju Hearts to show them your love.
FRIENDS
Friends deserve love, especially on Valentine’s day, so treat your PALentines to something nice!
● Brach’s Valentine Wisecracks Conversation Hearts because they are hilarious and such a fun way to crack a joke.
● Kraft Assorted Friendship Exchange Gummies because there are so many to share with all of your friends so that no one feels left out.
● Valentine’s Nerds Rope because they are the perfect candy to share, and they are delicious!
SIBLINGS
They are often underappreciated, so show your siblings some love on Valentine’s Day this year.
● Sour Patch Kids Black Raspberries Hearts Soft Candy because sometimes siblings are sour.
● Reese’s Big Cup Stuffed with Pretzels because Reese’s cups are the best candy, so they deserve to go to some of the best people in your life.
● Palmer Valentine’s Chocolate Party Pals Pets since siblings have been your pals since birth.
PARENTS AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS
Like siblings, other family members deserve Valentine’s Day love, too, and it’s important that they get it.
● Dark and Milk Chocolate One Pound Assortment because everyone loves a good classic chocolate assortment.
● Blueberry Chocolate Clusters because the perfect combination with chocolate is fruit; the people you love deserve that in their lives.
● Assorted Dark Chocolate Nut Clusters because most adults love chocolate and nuts… what’s not to love?
These candies are a sure way to show all the different kinds of people in your life that you love them because Valentine’s Day is for everyone!
Candy in Pop Culture, Candy News, Hannah Brelsford's Sweet Thoughts, Valentine's Candy
They Always Say the Way to Someone’s Heart is through……CANDY!
January 8, 2024 by Hannah Brelsford
For Valentine’s Day, people often give flowers and chocolate. While those are great gifts, especially the chocolate, we have some new creative ideas, especially for some foodies.
This Valentine’s Day, we have both the Kraft Assorted Friendship Exchange Gummies Box and a Kraft Gummy Lunchable Pizza Kit Heart Box.
Both of these feature gummies that are extremely delicious and realistic, too. I had to test whether they fit for Valentine’s Day.
First, I tried all the candies inside the Kraft Assorted Friendship Exchange Gummies box, including Kraft Mac & Cheese gummies, Oscar Mayer Hot Dog gummies, and Claussen Pickle gummies.
At first, I wasn’t sure if their flavors were realistic to the actual food, but once I bit into each, I realized that they were just classic gummy flavored. My favorite was the Mac & Cheese because I put it in a little bowl, which was adorable. All of them tasted the same, but they were fun and unique.
Then it was time to try the Kraft Gummy Lunchable Pizza Kit Heart Box, which I was most excited about because, with it, you get to create your candy pizza!
In the box are many different kinds of candy, including the gummy pizza crust, cheese, pepperoni, and the sauce, which is candy-based.
First, I started by spreading the candy sauce, and then I got to customize my toppings. The combination of all the different types of candy was perfect and interactive.
Overall, these candies are the perfect twist on the classic candies that people give for Valentine’s Day. They are yummy and fun because food is the way to someone’s heart…especially when it’s in the sweetest form.
Candy in Pop Culture, Valentine's Candy
Brachs and Sweetheart Conversation Hearts are true “Old School” candies.
January 10, 2023 by Jon Prince
Conversation Hearts have long been a beloved Valentine’s treat, and we have been offering them for over ninety years in various flavors, shapes, and sizes. As old-school candies go, these deserve a place close to the top of the list!
These hard, sugary sweets come in an array of fun colors and usually have an endearing phrase or saying stamped into the hard candy exterior.
Although we lament the loss of the original NECCO Conversation Hearts – Necco went bankrupt in 2018 after a 171-year run – the Sweethearts brand was purchased by Spangler – another old-school candy company that opened in 1906 – and the formula remains much the same. A sign of relief was heard from candy lovers around the globe!
Brachs – who has been around since 1904, perhaps you are sensing a theme – also makes conversation hearts, and there has been a long-standing debate about whether Sweethearts or Brachs tastes better.
So despite Brach’s eliminating 90 percent of their bulk candy offerings, we were thrilled that we got a shipment of their conversation hearts this year, so we will stay neutral in this discussion.
Their enduring popularity is likely due to their convenience – they’re fun, easy to store and transport because they are all but impervious to heat, and are sure to bring back childhood memories.
Their charming visuals range from traditional, pastel-colored hearts to bright and fun shapes, and the sayings – from “love you” to” you are awesome,” to name a few- are fun, personal, and inclusive.
Whether you prefer Brachs or Sweethearts, conversation hearts remain a special treat to share with a loved one this Valentine’s Day as your parents, and maybe even their parents, did!
Valentine's Candy, Wholesale Candy News
2022 Valentine’s Day Candy Offerings
January 7, 2022 by Jonah Half
As the Christmas holiday, seasonal candies are in short supply due to supply chain issues. In addition, a majority of the Valentine Candy pre-ordered did not arrive due to export issues and our holiday offerings are a bit leaner than they were in previous years.
The list above highlights candies in stock as of January 7, 2022. There is a possibility that more items will arrive, and all seasonal candies are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis.
If you have questions or are interested in special orders, please reach out, as we will do our best to help.
Candy History, Candy Memories, Candy News, Retro Candy, Valentine's Candy
Ode to the Conversation Heart
February 5, 2019 by Laurnie Wilson
For generations, Valentine’s Day has not been complete without at least one box of Conversation Hearts. You know them when you see them. Also known as Sweethearts, they’re the super sweet, heart-shaped treats with phrases like, ‘Be Mine’ and ‘Kiss Me’ emblazoned on the front. A staple of school parties and a beloved addition to candy drawers everywhere, Conversation Hearts have truly been a cornerstone of the sweetest holiday of the year for generations.
Unfortunately, all those days spent loving (or loving to hate) Conversation Hearts will soon become just a memory. NECCO, the original manufacturer of Conversation Hearts went out of business last year, leaving fans of the candy wondering what would happen to this time-tested favorite.
This news has left a bitter taste in the candy world. While the fate of this treat hangs in the balance, we are all left wondering how to get our fill of our favorite sweets this February 14th. Whether Conversation Hearts were always your first pick, or if they were the candy you ended up eating after your chocolate stash ran out, they were always there, consistently sweetening up even the dreariest February days.
Spangler Candy Company currently owns the Sweethearts brand, but, having only acquired the brand in September, the company has reported that they did not have time to produce this perennial treat in time for Valentine’s Day. Although Spangler has intentions of bringing the candy back in 2020, there’s no guarantee that we’ll get our beloved Conversation Hearts next year either.
Have any special Sweethearts memories you’d like to share? We’d love to hear! WANT TO WIN OUR LAST 1 POUND BAG OF NECCO CONVERSATION HEARTS? Simply tell us your most memorable Sweethearts moments in the comments below to enter. Keep the spirit of the Conversation Heart alive as we wait to see what next year will bring.
And while you may try to fill the void with other seasonal favorites, there is truly nothing else quite as special as a Conversation Heart.
Candy History, Candy in Pop Culture, Candy News, Lollipops, Valentine's Candy
Valentine’s Day Is For Candy Lovers
February 9, 2018 by Margo Harris
As Valentine’s Day is a day of love and candy, I decided to do a little research as to why. We all know that the big Hallmark holidays like Halloween and Valentine’s Day are all about candy, but have you ever thought about why you are stuffing chocolates into your mouth? Ancient Romans were the first ones to start the Valentine’s Day tradition. There were two different Saint Valentines that the holiday was named after. Every year around mid February, the Romans held an enormous festival called Lupercalia. This contained a feast in which the single young adults ate treats, drank alcohol, got to know each other, and would get married if everything went how the adults hoped it would. But his year to prepare for Valentine’s Day I gave out some surveys to find out what kinds of candies are everyone’s favorites for the lovely holiday.
My surveys asked people to circle which candies they would most like to eat on Valentine’s Day. The list included: Conversation Hearts, Chocolate Sampler Boxes, Lollipops, Red and White M&Ms, Jelly Hearts, and Chocolate Roses. There was also an ‘other’ section that got answers like Reese’s Cups and Chocolate Pretzels. I was sure that the boxes of chocolate and Conversation Hearts were going to be the most liked candies, but the results that I received proved me wrong. The top three most popular were the Chocolate Sampler Boxes, Lollipops, and the M&Ms. So let’s talk about those.
A classic example of a chocolate sampler box is the Whitman’s Sampler. Around 1915 it was the best selling box of chocolates in America. Whitman knew a lot about marketing which allowed his company to greatly prosper straight through the Great Depression and World War II. His most memorable (and highly sexist) ad campaign “ A Woman Never Forgets the Man Who Remembers” was what made the company’s profits skyrocket and what is keeping the candies here today. With a wide variety of chocolates in every box such as caramel and strawberry creme, a consumer will always find something to love about these delightful boxes. Even though we don’t carry Whitman chocolates, the gourmet chocolates we feature are quite decadent and delicious!
The history of lollipops is a little fuzzy, but there are lots of ideas of where they came from. If you’re curious, Jon Prince wrote about their history here. I have always really enjoyed lollipops, in fact my next blog (which will be licktastic) is all about the little candies on a stick. I remember getting them at banks as a kid and watching their transformations there from bland flavors to Dum Dums. I also remember stealing them from my older siblings and eating them because I just couldn’t get enough of their flavorful sugar. On Valentine’s Day, lollipops come in lots of forms. There are basic pink and red ones of course, but the best are the clear heart shaped ones (that can easily be mistaken for soap on a stick). They can be given out to children’s classrooms or given to your loved ones as a small way to show them your affection.
M&Ms have been around since 1941 and were created by the Mars candy company. For a long time, consumers had been searching for a chocolate that wouldn’t melt before they got around to eating it and M&Ms were the answer to this problem. In 1954, their famous slogan, “melts in your mouth, not in your hands” was introduced causing their already great chocolate to be even greater. The company slowly put out different colors and flavors of M&Ms, eventually making them America’s favorite candies.
I hope that you’ve learned something about candy this Valentine’s Day. Whether it was the fact that the Whitman’s chocolate company was just a bit sexist or that lollipops are much more popular than expected, there is always something to learn. I would like to keep learning about these candies, so take the poll below and let us know what your favorite Valentine’s Day candy is by submitting your choice in the comments section. Happy holiday!
Choices:
- Conversation Hearts
- Chocolate Sampler Boxes
- Lollipops
- Red and White M&Ms
- Jelly Hearts
- Chocolate Roses
- Other
Holiday Candy, Lollipops, Valentine's Candy
Get Creative with Candy this Valentine’s Day
January 19, 2012 by Jessica Prokop
Valentine’s Day is kind of a polarizing holiday. Young lovers love it, and lonely curmudgeons hate it. And so do a lot of normal people. The legendary stories that inspired the celebration vary widely, and the only really clear thing is that people have been getting romantic once a year for centuries. But a holiday about love in the middle of winter makes sense. Celebrating loved ones might be the best thing to do when you’ve been stuck inside with them for months. Just imagine what it would be like if you shared a hovel with them. Or a Conestoga wagon. These days, we’ve got it easy, so let’s stop grumbling and focus on showing people some love.
When you think about candy all the time, Valentine’s Day is super fun. It’s a time for surprises and the joy of delighting people you love. As a relatively “small holiday,” there aren’t that many gifts to choose from — it’s candy, flowers, jewelry, or a mix tape. And anything that’s not candy goes better with candy. But there are plenty of ways to mix it up and get creative. You can find out your crush’s favorite candy from childhood, then shock them with a whole box. If you’re ambitious, you could even fill a locker or a car with candy.
We’ve got all the traditional candies, like all kinds of conversation hearts and hand-poured mixed chocolates. Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate true love, or friendship, or family. Just find your favorite way to make someone feel special. Here are some interesting options, and you’ll find lots more in our Valentines Candy section.
Valentine’s Day Favorites
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Bulk Candy Reviews, Candy Reviews, Valentine's Candy
Ju Ju Hearts Filled With Ju-Ju Love
February 12, 2010 by Becca Droz
Juju Hearts are a fun candy for Valentine’s Day and may be infused with magical powers…
Sharability: 10
Denture Danger: 8
Convenience: 8
Novelty: 8
Overall: 7
Ju Ju Hearts are another great Valentine’s Day candy. Upon seeing the bag of red scrumptious squishy hearts I assumed they would be cinnamon flavored. Though these hearts would probably be better with the cinnamon spice tongue tingler, the cherry flavor that lies within the Ju Ju Heart is far from terrible.
It has a similar flavor to the red jolly rancher, but it isn’t too sweet or medicinal tasting, which many cherry flavored candies tend to be. The Ju Ju heart is a great candy for the gummy valentine.
Coming from West African origin, Ju-Ju is either an object used as an amulet or fetish or is the word representing the supernatural power that is ascribed to an object. The terms came to the United States through African slaves and those who still practice certain African traditions still use the term Ju-Ju and the customs associated with it.
I don’t want to make any rash assumptions, but if I were to take a guess I would say that the manufacturer named these hearts ‘Ju Ju Hearts’ with the not-so-hidden-implication that there are supernatural powers of love implanted in every heart, but don’t take my word for it.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juju
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/juju