OK, I’m going to have to take issue with those of you that say Tootsie Rolls are not good. They are long-lasting, low-fat, chocolatey heaven! Of course, I have a special fondness for the other flavors of Tootsie Rolls, because when I was a kid, I had a toy called a “Toot Sweet” where you mooshed up the flavored Tootsie Roll until it was about the consistency of Play Doh, put the mass into the mold, pressed the handle down hard, let it ‘set’, and out would come a Tootsie Roll treat, shaped like a whistle, that you could actually whistle through. Then you could nom it.
I loved candy corn as a kid. I don’t like it as much as I used to anymore but it surely isn’t Satan’s teeth to me. As a kid, any candy bar with nuts was awful. Yep, I hated Snickers, and Almond Joy and Chunky’s were even worse.
But the worst for me were candy cigarettes. This was around 1980. A number of homes in my neighborhood handed those out. Evil bastards. And I also remember an odd “candy” that was a wax tube filled with colored liquid of some sort (NOT A GLOW STICK) ;). Not even sure what it was called or what it was supposed to be. I couldn’t even get through the tube to the liquid (probably had loose teeth or something). Just threw the thing away.
Bah! You know it! When I was a kid, and we’d all take our pennies down to the corner store to buy penny candy (back in those days, some candies were two for a penny!), I never could understand kids who would ‘invest’ their pennies in wax lips!
My pennies always went for: lemon heads; strange flavors of Twizzlers (to bite the ends off of and drink your Kool-Aid through); chocolate babies (which were known by a much less PC term at that time); Nick-l-nips; shoe button candies. And if I had a whole nickle to spare, a great big pickled onion!
Everyone thinks I’m nuts, but I hate tootsie rolls. By extension, I also hate tootsie roll pops. I just don’t think chocolate should be…CHEWY. (Not that they taste very chocolatey anyway.)
I also dislike Bit-O Honey and plain wrapped hard candy.
While I certainly had my likes & dislikes, there was very little that I would not eat if it was in front of me, because, hey, SUGAR! I can remember many times I would say about a Tootsie Roll “Yeah, I hate these things”, then eat it immediately afterword. Maybe I wouldn’t eat Jujubes. Unless there was nothing else.
If you want a real treat, read Candyfreakby Steve Almond.
In that Peanut Butter Kisses link, it says the brand is NECCO. They seem to be responsible for half the bad candy mentioned. My wife likes NECCO wafers, but she has a lot of redeeming qualities, so I keep her anyway.
Circus Peanuts aren’t Halloween candy to me. We got them in our Easter baskets. I wouldn’t mind eating one every few years. How’s that for a ringing endorsement?
I have only had one popcorn ball in my life…they were distributed at my kindergarden Halloween party. These were homemade, and they had gumdrops in them! So yummy!
I don’t get the hate for Necco wafers (though the sour ones are horrible). I’ve seen giant Smarties (U.S. version); those things are hideously sour! Regular-size Smarties are pretty inconsistent flavor-wise, but I like the texture.
Why was the article hating on root beer barrels? Some brands are better than others, but it’s a pretty inoffensive candy compared to some of the other stuff listed.
And yes, you can still buy rock candy; I’ve never seen it in indiviudally wrapped portions though. Personally, I like the stuff, even though it shreds your tongue.
Especially the ones that are hand-dipped in Baker’s chocolate, so you think they’re something yummy and chocolate-covered!
Hey, I think I know what I’m giving the smart-ass teenagers who are trick or treating sullenly without even trying to pretend they’re wearing a costume!
