Candy History, Retro Candy

Candy History: Abba Zaba

November 8, 2013 by

The Early Days of a Retro Candy Bar

abba-zabba-unwrapped-candy-bar The history of the Abba-Zaba bar goes way back, all the way to 1922, to be exact. It was a different time, then. The first radio had just arrived at the White House, Egypt received independence from Great Britain, and a little candy company called Colby and McDermott was manufacturing a new kind of candy bar in Los Angeles, California.

What made this candy so special, you might ask? Well, it consisted of a white taffy exterior with a creamy peanut butter center. Known as the Abba-Zaba bar, this stick-to-your-teeth confection became a huge hit out west, where they still carry the biggest clout, today.

In The Spotlight

Anyone who loves the Abba-Zaba bar will recognize that black and yellow Taxi-cab-esque exterior. But are you familiar with the original wrapper scandal? Early Abba-Zaba wrappers from Colby & McDermott depict what appear to be African tribesmen in a jungle, sitting beside a taffy tree. And while this racially taboo packaging would never fly today, it didn’t do the brand any damage when the candy first came out.

The Abba-Zaba bar has also made numerous TV and movie appearances in its sweet history, racking up quite a few screen creds- the most famous of which may be from its mention in the movie Half Baked.

abba-zaba-cartoon

So Famous!

Abba-Zaba Today

abba-zabba-candy-bar-taffyOver the years, manufacturing of the candy passed first to Cardinet Candy and then to Annabelle Candy Company in 1978. But despite frequent company changes, the original Abba-Zaba taste has remained the same.

Today, Annabelle Candy Company manufactures the Abba-Zaba bar in Hayward, California. The candy is Kosher pareve and is even available in new flavors. You can now get your Abba-Zaba fix with green-apple flavored taffy, or a chocolate, instead of peanut butter, filling.

And once you’ve gotten your hands on one, the choice is yours on how you want to enjoy it. Some say freezing them is the best way. Others say leaving them in a hot car does the trick. Either way, you’re in for a treat.

Watch Full Movie Online Streaming Online and Download

Sources

  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abba-Zaba
  • http://www.candywrappermuseum.com/abbazaba.html
  • http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/08/abba-zaba-candy-taffy-peanut-butter-you-my-only-friend.html
  • https://www.facebook.com/ABBAZABA

 

 

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21 Comments

  • Reply Tre neff May 19, 2016 at 11:48 pm

    I love this candy ! My mom buys two of them for me every other day . I am 15. The greatest candy on earth! Where can I get samples so I stop making my mom spend her money . I only eat these!

  • Reply Veleda Williams November 25, 2017 at 10:17 am

    How much did these bats cost in 1970?

  • Reply Veleda Williams November 25, 2017 at 10:19 am

    I meant bars not bats…sorry!

  • Reply Jeanne DeLario August 25, 2018 at 12:41 am

    Abba Zabbas used to have more peanut butter in the middle. I wish the Annabelle Company would put the same ratio of taffy to peanut butter as they used to.

  • Reply Rick Lincoln January 18, 2019 at 2:02 pm

    Yes, Annabelle, you need to go back to the original ratio of PB to Taffy. Some of us out here remember the real deal.

  • Reply Craig April 17, 2019 at 1:46 pm

    Candy bars cost 9 cents in the early 1970’s, as I recall.

    I don’t like the taffy, but my favorite bar is also by Annabelle, U-NO.

  • Reply Janice Cagan-Teuber October 21, 2019 at 3:10 pm

    Abba-Zaba is my favorite. I agree with folks, who also say the ratio of taffy to peanut butter should be better. I usually whack my bar on the edge of a table or counter, to break it into smaller pieces (of course, with the wrapper still intact). The BEST!!!

  • Reply Sue January 17, 2020 at 8:22 pm

    I remember a golden color taffy that had a molasses flavor outside of the peanut butter inside.
    Does anyone else remember this?

    • Reply Jonah Half January 23, 2020 at 3:08 pm

      Are you referring to Mary Janes that we manufactured by NECCO…

  • Reply Brittney July 13, 2020 at 3:30 am

    I love this candy and I habe been teying to find some but it is so hard to find. My favorite candy of all time!!!

  • Reply Lisa August 13, 2020 at 12:58 am

    I was so sad the other day when I bought an ABBA zabba and there was no peanut butter at all!!! Just white taffy……not sure what happened. Bit it was very disappointing…..

  • Reply Gary Marko November 3, 2020 at 9:31 pm

    I Miss The Spear Chucker That Used To Be On The Rapper

  • Reply Gary O'Dell March 29, 2021 at 4:00 am

    my name is Gary O’Dell…I have spoken with you before regarding Abba Zaba…..I really think it would be a nice story
    to the respect the Candy should get….When I lived across from the Original Factory on 12th street in Los Angeles…I used
    to stand by the door while wrappers were wrapping the One Penny candies they had 3 machines and seems like the machines went every single day…When Christmas would come around Mr. McDermott would have all of the neighborhood kids line up and they would go upstairs where he lived and he would give them a 80 count box Wrapped with Christmas paper and a brand new $ 1.00 Bill his employees would help him do this….To me in my world,which was quite limited This was a very very nice thing to do…..Respectfully Gary O’Dell 75 years old

  • Reply Robbie January 1, 2022 at 6:39 am

    I loved your story Gary o’dell. Abba zabba is my favorite candy.

  • Reply Shine March 28, 2022 at 5:52 pm

    Gary O’ Dell, you are as awesome as they come! Thank you for sharing your story. I loved reading the history behind this candy but hearing actual events from someone who was actually there and lived across the street from the factory where Abba-Zabba was made takes my imagination to a whole different level. My great grandfather was walking by a bakery during the depression, he was an out of work engineer. They were starting to turn people away because some of their major equipment had broken down so there was a shortage on bread. My great gramps told the manager that he was sure he could get their machines up and running again if given a chance. They hesitated at first because a repairman had been called in already and was stumped as to what the problem was. The owner popped his head in and gave my great gramps permission to get started because he figured it couldn’t hurt to let him try. He started at 6:00 AM and had every piece of industrial equipment fixed by the end of the day. The owner was impressed and sent him to a friend who also needed help at the Clark company.. as in Clark Candy bars. He fixed all their equipment too and got hired as their maintenance man. If I’m not mistaken the bakery was called the Hanky bread or baking company and of course most of us have heard of the Clark bar. This took place in Pennsylvania. 😊 🍬

  • Reply Charlene Wren Age 75. April 25, 2022 at 2:36 am

    My great-grandfather lived in Hollywood CA and was a friend of the company owner. This was probably in the1920s. My father said they were given boxes of Abba Zabbas as gifts from the owner. Dad said the candy bars were thicker had more peanut butter in them back then.
    He told me that they used to put a colored ribbon sporadically in a bar. You could get free ones with those ribbons, i.e. 1, 5 or 10. This was probably the inspiration for Charlie & the Chocolate Factory.

  • Reply Mary Jane Rich Schmerberg June 15, 2022 at 7:07 pm

    My Aunt worked at the ABBA Zabba factory in the office. She was a widow. One year we went to Christmas dinner at her house. She always had Abba Zabba’s. She also had a guest there, Mr. Colby. I later found out he was her boss, but whatever. They kept us kids happy with all that lovely candy! Life in L. A. in the 60’s.

  • Reply Joan Jensen October 25, 2022 at 8:42 pm

    I am 64 and still buy Abba zabbas online when I get the urge.In the 60’s we would go to my granny and grampas in Needles CA.I had a best friend there and her and I would go to the minimart down the street.Abba Zabbas we’re just a nickel.

  • Reply Faye November 4, 2022 at 11:21 pm

    I thought AbbaZabbas were no longer being made but I found some at 99 cent store this week. I was sooo excited!! It’s my dear friends favorite. My favorite is Big Hunk. Still searching for them. We are both 83 & have been eating our favorites for a very long time!

  • Reply Charmian Giles October 30, 2023 at 7:43 am

    My father worked for the company that made the wrappers & at Halloween he’d always bring home several boxes of penny bars to give out. We kids loved them! Good memories. That was in the
    1950’s

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