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Mix it Up and Chew it Up With Chiclets Chewing Gum

October 5, 2009 by
Chiclets Chewing Gum comes in many shapes and sizes

Chiclets Chewing Gum comes in many shapes and sizes

Sharability: 10

Denture Danger: 10

 Convenience: 9

Novelty: 10

Overall: 10

When you are passing by a row of 25 cent machines you can almost always guarantee that Cadbury Adams’ Chiclets chewing gum will be among the candies that lie within them.

When the decision of what candy to spend your sole quarter on proves difficult, don’t think twice before putting it in the little slot for the Chiclets. With Chiclets you get the flavor variety of any other candy with the long lasting duration of any gum.

These classic, flavor filled gum squares were the first candy-coated chewing gum, first introduced in peppermint flavor in 1906. Frank H. Fleer took the idea of the candy coated Jordan almond and applied it to chewing gum and the Chiclets have thrived in every generation since the early 1900s.

Chiclets chewing gum is known all around the world, but is especially popular in the Middle East. Here in the United States Chiclets can be found in their original peppermint packaging or in various other flavor packed colors including orange, red, yellow, blue, green, and pink.

As great as each individual flavor tastes, taking a small handful of multiple flavors always proves enjoyable even if you don’t think cinnamon, banana, and orange blend well together.

Chiclets are the perfect gum because you can easily monitor the size of the gum you will be chewing. You can dump a handful into your mouth and have a double-bubble-like mouthful or gum or you can just chew one square to get the smell of lunch off of your breath before your meeting or job interview. Whatever the reason, Chiclets chewing gum won’t disappoint.

Please click here to learn more about the unique history of Chewing Gum

Bulk Candy Reviews, Candy Reviews

One Pretzel, Two Pretzels, White Pretzels, Chocolate Pretzels

October 1, 2009 by
The sweet and salty combination of chocolate covered pretzels is one of the great taste combinations in candy history

The sweet and salty combination of chocolate covered pretzels is one of the great taste combinations in candy history

Sharability: 5 (too good to share too many)

Denture Danger: 4

Convenience: 4 (a little melty)

Novelty: 5

Overall: 10

We’ve already established the fact that everything tastes good covered in chocolate. What we haven’t established is what tastes best covered in chocolate.

That, my friends, is a pretzel. I’m sure we’ve all experienced the simple combination of the salty pretzel with the sweet milk chocolate, whether we are dipping pretzels in melted chocolate or nutella or eating the already chocolate covered pretzels.  Whatever it is, this combination makes eating one more absolutely irresistible.

The milk chocolate is a delicious topper, but white yogurt covered pretzels shouldn’t be forgotten. The yogurt is a little sweeter than the milk chocolate, which might be exactly what some of you are looking for. I know my mom is a committed fan of the classic chocolate covered pretzels because they don’t pack that extra sweetness.

Obviously I’m not opposed to putting them together, the dark and the light, the yin and the yang, the sweet and the sweeter. As good as the flavor combination is though, I actually think I like these ones solo, but I’m just a candy fanatic blogger, so try them both, and you decide.

Bulk Candy Reviews, Candy Reviews

York Peppermint Patties and Pearson’s Foil Mint Patties

September 8, 2009 by

 

Vintage York Peppermint Patty Advertisement  Circa 1950's

Vintage York Peppermint Patty Advertisement Circa 1950's

 Sharability: 6

Denture Danger: 4

Convenience: 6

Novelty: 7

Overall: 9

Though you may think that these two different companies produce the exact same peppermint patty you might be surprised to find out that the York and Pearson make two very different patties.

Beginning with the first impression, York’s peppermint patties are thicker and denser than Pearson’s smaller, wimpier patty. The layer of dark chocolate coating on Pearson’s patty is darker and thinner to go along with the thinner layer of peppermint cream. When you bite into you the York patty you can feel resistance from the thick layer of peppermint deliciousness.

Pearson’s offers no sort of resistance. I think of Pearson’s patty as a helpless little scrawny kid and the York patty as the buffed up jock who impresses all the ladies with his macho man looks.

York’s good looks won me over in the taste test also. When tasted side by side the two patties definitely don’t match up. The bulky York has a fuller taste all together because of its thicker layers and greater density; but it really is a personal preference.

In my opinion the York is more worthy of complement because it simply is better quality than Pearson’s pathetic patty. The subtle sound that you hear when you bite into a York is so satisfyingly smooth and Pearson’s only makes a pathetic attempt at the replications of that smooth sweeping sound.

Henry Kessler from York Cone Company first produced York patties in 1940 in York, Pennsylvania. Peter-Paul took over the York Cone Company in 1972 and nationally released the York Peppermint Patty in 1975.

A former York employee remembered the final sample test the patty went through before leaving the factory. It was a “snap test” to see if the candy broke clean in the middle. In my own laboratory, the York passed the snap test but Pearson’s failed, bending and cracking in three places. The snap test doesn’t have to designate which company you favor, but if you like quality peppermint patties, go with York.

Bulk Candy Reviews

Sunkist Fruit Gems: Fun to Eat, More Fun to Throw

September 4, 2009 by
Sunkist Fruit Gems, manufactured by Jelly Belly Candy Co., are a candy classic and Kosher too.

Sunkist Fruit Gems, manufactured by Jelly Belly Candy Co., are a candy classic and Kosher too.

Sharability: 10

Denture Danger: 6

Convenience: 10

Novelty: 8

Overall: 6

When I see these little individually wrapped gelatin candy blobs I think of only one thing, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs.  During my childhood I went to a lot of Bar and Bat Mitzvahs (a Jewish ceremony for 12 and 13 year olds to represent a coming of age).

The part I most looked forward to would be towards the end of the ceremony when the little cousin or little sister (which was me at my brothers’ Bar Mitzvah’s) would walk through the isles with a basket of Sunkist fruit gems passing them around to the audience. (I would always make sure I took at least two so that I could eat one).

The unmistakable plastic crinkle would fill the sanctuary as the Bar Mitzvah boy/ Bat mitzvah girl’s premonition grew. After the singing of the last prayer ended and the “Mazel Tov” resonated throughout, the madness began. At the sound of that “Mazel Tov” everyone who had a Sunkist in their hand (those who resisted the temptation of eating it) threw it as hard as they could at the helpless kid standing on the Bima (stage).

Many candies would be thrown askew and hit an unsuspecting parent or rabbi. Some hit the intended target while most just flew untouched through the air and landed on the Bima with a plop. Sometimes I saw the kid becoming a bar/bat mitzvah catch the candies and throw them back at their friends and family.

This tradition created a new element of fun to the usually boring bar/bat mitzvah service. After everyone had thrown their candies the kids would run up and collect as many Sunkist gems as they could fit into their little hands. They would then hoard them and trade with their friends for their favorite flavors.

These candies were perfect for throwing because they are soft, they are individually wrapped, and the temptation for eating them does not come close to overriding the fun of throwing them. The Candy itself isn’t anything special. It has an odd sweet flavor (whether it be lime, orange, grapefruit, or lemon) and a strange gelatiny texture that is accompanied by a sandpapery outer sugar coating.

They are more fun to squeeze in your fingers until the gooey blob is pressed into a liquidy goop that fills the small package than they are to eat, (this commonly happens while people impatiently await the throwing of the candy).

For your next Bar/Bat Mitzvah don’t forget to stock up on Sunkist Fruit Gems. In the mean time, they are a good candy for sharing because everyone likes being given candy whether or not it is yummy, and no one has to know that you are giving them a candy that you don’t actually like.

Bulk Candy Reviews, Candy History, Candy Reviews, Nostalgic Candy Favorites

Share Your Lemonheads Amongst Friendlyheads

August 24, 2009 by
Did you know that over 500 Million - no, this is not a typo - Lemonheads are produced yearly!

Did you know that over 500 Million - no, this is not a typo - Lemonheads are produced yearly!

Sharability: 10

Denture Danger: 7

Convenience: 7

Novelty: 8

Overall: 9

 Not to be confused with the 90’s rock band, lemonheads are a small ball of a hard candy coated in a soft sugary layer that adds the bang to the tang.

The big lemon heads are good, I mean who doesn’t like one of their favorite candies in monster size, but they don’t have the same tang as the small original lemon heads that you get in the concessions box at the movies. It has to do with the ratio of hard candy center to the soft sour outer shell.

The original lemonheads have a perfect ratio that blends well whether you chew it up your let it melt away in your mouth. The big lemon head has a thick sour coating that is delicious, but is gone well before the large ball of candy.

 Lemonheads originated in 1962 from the Ferrara Pan Company using the same method used to make Red Hots. The hard candy center is made by mixing and heating sugar and corn syrup, pulling and kneading the dough-like clump of sugar to aerate it, and forming it into a rope that is pressed between two rollers that form the candy balls.

After cooling, the balls are put into the same revolving pan that Ferrara’s atomic fireballs were put into, a process known as the cold panned process. As the candy beads spin around and around corn syrup and sugar are added which gives them a sugary coating that continues to build in layers to form the shell as the pan continues to spin and more ingredients are added.

 Through my personal experience I have seen Lemonheads hoarded by kids and I have seen them being shared amongst friends. One little Lemonhead holds the same sweet and sour satisfaction as ten so don’t hesitate to dish out Lemonheads to your envious friends. Approximately 500 million lemonheads are created by the Ferrara Pan Company each year, get out there and eat your share.

Bulk Candy Reviews, Candy Reviews

Jordan, Almond, I now Pronounce you Man and Wife

August 19, 2009 by
Jordan Almonds are a wedding staple and have a truly unique place in candy history

Jordan Almonds are a wedding staple and have a truly unique place in candy history

Sharability: 10

Denture Danger: 8

Convenience: 9

Novelty: 5

Overall: 9

 Jordan Almonds are one candy that I would never turn down. The hard and sweet candy shell packs such a crunch that when you make it to the almond in the center you are greeted with a soft bite. The almond adds a neutral almondy taste to the candy, which makes for a great balance of flavor leaving you craving more.

The almond sits inside the candy egg for so long that it actually becomes not only soft but also chewy and a little sugary which mixes quite well to create contrasting textures, tastes, and consistencies.

The Jordan Almond has the history to go with it. It was originally created for weddings to represent the bitter-sweetness of married life between bitterness of a raw almond and the sweetness of candy.

A tradition with Italian Weddings is each guest is welcomed at their place setting with a small box or bag known as ‘bomboniere’ of five almonds. These five almonds represent five wishes for the bride and groom: health, wealth, happiness, fertility and longevity.

There is a Greek tradition that if an unmarried woman puts the almonds under her pillow, she will have dreams of her future husband.  When she finds that husband, the Almonds (known as koufeta) come into play at the wedding. They are usually placed in little bags in odd numbers. The indivisible odd numbers symbolize how the newlyweds will share everything and remain undivided.

This classy candy not only packs a crunch for your munch, but it has a whole history to tell. So next time you pick one up, don’t forget that you could be eating an almond representing health or happiness and you should let that sink in to enjoy the Jordan Almond to the fullest.

Bulk Candy Reviews, Gummi Candy

Forget Teddy Bears when you can have Gummi Bears

August 17, 2009 by

 Sharability: 10

Denture Danger: 4

Convenience: 6

Novelty: 6

Overall: 7

Aahhh what candy could be better known than the gummi bear? These cute little bear shaped gelatin candies are irresistible, even if you don’t like the taste. The smooth slimy texture is addicting and each color has its own corresponding flavor. The gummi bear was originated in Germany under the name Gummibär (rubber bear) or Gummibärchen (little rubber bear). Hans Reigel was the founder of the Haribo company in 1922 when he also invented bear-shaped sweets. Haribo first introduced its Gold-Bear product in the 1960s, and it has been thriving ever since.

A bag of gummi bears is just so colorful and squishy that it automatically brings happiness to anyone in its presence. A bag comes with so many that you can offer them to anyone who has bright eyes staring at the bag. The translucent bears practically glow in the light making the blues, purples, greens, reds, yellows, oranges, and pinks stand out and gleam. One thing is for sure, you can never go wrong with gummi bears.

Haribo Gummi Bears are better than teddy bears....

Haribo Gummi Bears are better than teddy bears….

Bulk Candy Reviews, Candy Reviews

Airheads for the Rightheads

August 10, 2009 by

 

Airheads are a unique candy similar to taffy....but not exactly...

Airheads are a unique candy similar to taffy....but not exactly...

 

Sharability: 7

Denture Danger: 6

Convenience: 8

Novelty: 7

Overall: 8

 Airheads of the Perfetti Van Melle candy company are one of the few candies that really bring me nostalgia from my childhood. I remember my mom would buy packs of air heads and my brothers and I would argue over who would get the special white mystery flavor.

Sometimes it would come down to a rock paper scissors match. The two remaining would then have the same argument over the blue raspberry flavor. Maybe it was just the color of the flavors that made their demand so high, but whatever it was, the person who ended up with watermelon or cherry in the end wasn’t as satisfied as the others.

Sometimes we would hold the airheads by the end of the wrapper and vigorously shake it back and forth so that the airhead would form into a small clump instead of thin taffy. Actually airheads are not quite taffy, they are less sticky, chewier, smoother, and are harder to bite into than your typical taffy.

The variety of flavors is one of the best parts about the airheads, you can choose from cherry, watermelon, strawberry, blue raspberry, green apple, orange, and white mystery. You can also get Airheads sours in flavors including cherry, blue raspberry, and green apple.

The sours have only a little extra tang to them, but other than that taste exactly like the original flavor. Airheads taffy are good because they aren’t as filling as a candy bar and don’t dissolve in your mouth as fast as normal taffy does. Airheads are the happy medium.

Bulk Candy Reviews, Gummi Candy

Enjoy Gummy Peach Rings in moderation…

July 10, 2009 by

 

 

 

Trolli Peach Rings are the best!

Trolli Peach Rings are the best!

 

Sharability: 9

Denture Danger: 8

Convenience: 7

Novelty: 6

Overall: 9

As soon as you open the bag, a burst of the peachy sweetness aroma floats up your nose preparing your senses for the eating of peach ring.

Manufactured by Farley & Sathers, under the brand name Trolli,  these ring shaped gummies are fun to put on your fingers to admire your beautiful orange and yellow jewelry before ripping them off with your teeth. If you suck on the peach ring instead of chewing it up the sandpapery sugar melts away so that you can feel the smooth gummy squirm around your mouth.

As good as this candy is, I advise moderation. Though moderation is key with most candies, this one I can tell you from personal experience is one in which you should surely limit your intake.

Eating too many peach rings can make your stomach gurgle and your head pound. It gives you a good excuse to share this one with all of the watering mouths watching you chew up the peachy smelling, sugary, slightly sour gummy.

Brachs Candy, Bulk Candy Reviews

Brach’s Not-So-Salty Salt Water Taffy

July 9, 2009 by

 

Salt Water Taffy is a summer favorite!

Salt Water Taffy is a summer favorite!

 

Sharability: 5

Denture Danger: 10

Convenience: 8

Novelty: 9

Overall: 10

 Do not be disgusted by the name of this candy because salt water is only in the name and not in the list of ingredients.

Though no one is sure where the name originated, the most popular story is of a man named David Bradley who had a store on the Atlantic City boardwalk in 1883.

One day a tidal wave rushed over his store soaking everything he had with salt water. The next day a girl walked into his store asking for some taffy. He sarcastically mentioned he had some “salt water taffy” which the girl bought and enjoyed.

Bradley’s mother thought that the name had a nice ring to it, so she convinced Bradley to rename his taffy to salt water taffy.  He never trademarked the name, so it was not long before other people started marketing their taffy with that new catchy name.

A man named Joeseph Fralinger started to really market this candy by selling the thin logs of taffy in boxes as Atlantic City souvenirs. Another man named Enoch James came around to add some competition to this new marketing scheme by slightly changing the recipe making the candy less sticky and by selling it as bite-sized pieces.

Fralinger and James are still two of the biggest suppliers of salt water taffy on the Jersey Shore over 100 years after the competition began.

The salt water taffy experience begins by searching through the bag for the colors that seem to correspond with a flavor you might most enjoy. You then pull the ends of the wax paper wrapper and watch the candy spin open.

A lot of times the candy sticks to the wrapper so that you have an excuse to put the wrapper in your mouth and scrape the stuck taffy off with your teeth. A lot of the taffys have mixed flavors in which you can mix together in one bite or eat separately by biting along the lines.

Salt water taffy has such a great soft and chewy consistency and such a variety of flavors that eating one more never seems like such a bad idea.