candy - 2/5 - Retroland

Candy Apples

Nothing says Halloween and hometown goodness like a good, old-fashioned candy apple. These sugar coated, bright-red delights (or variations thereof,) are classic autumn treats for many Western cultures, especially at festivals for Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night, since the two holidays fall shortly after apple harvests take place. And luckily, many confection stores now offer them year-round, enabling you get a candy apple fix whenever your nostalgic heart desires.

Wax Bottles

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Okay, you really weren’t supposed to eat them, but how were kids to know? After all, they were in the candy aisle. Technically though, the liquid inside was the candy, not the wax container that surrounded it - which didn’t stop kids from ingesting enough wax to turn their digestive tract into a candle, sans the wick. That’s right, we’re talking about the wax bottles of our youth.

Candy Corn

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It isn’t always easy to get kids to eat their vegetables, but create a faux candy version and they will eat it by the bushel. Such is the case of candy corn, perhaps the most enduring Halloween confection of all time. The tri-colored kernels of yummy goodness date back well over a century, and in recent years, have received a few makeovers to colorfully coordinate with other popular holidays. But it is the traditional original version that endures, to the tune of 20 million pounds of stuff sold each year - enough that, if each kernel were laid end to end, would supposedly wrap around the earth four times. That’s a lot of corn. Let's take a closer look at this annual delicacy that seems to bring out the sweet tooth in all of us.

Gold Mine

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The art of creative packaging has sold a lot of candy to a lot of kids. Find a unique way to market your confection and you could be looking at a gold mine of profits. Perhaps that was the inspiration for Gold Mine gum, little golden nuggets of chewy goodness, cleverly packaged in a burlap sack.

Jolly Rancher

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Once upon a time, Jolly Rancher was a Colorado confectionery company that supplied the locals with fine, hand-dipped chocolates and “rancher-maid” ice cream. As fate would have it, they are barely remembered for those treats. Instead, sales of their flavorful hard candy sticks would far surpass their other wares, and their wildest dreams. Decades later, Jolly Rancher is a household name and a beloved candy for many a former kid.

Bubble Tape

Cotton Candy

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It is the staple food of nostalgia. It’s synonymous with childhood laughter and the days of carefree wonder. And unlike most candy aisle confections, cotton candy is indelibly linked to carnivals, the circus, and any other spectacle designed to fire the imagination of children.

Atomic Fireballs

BarNone

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Often times, we don't realize the value of something until it is taken away. From that point forth, we mutter, we sign petitions, we reminisce with a saddened sigh. Such is the case with a tasty little confection known as BarNone. Introduced by Hershey's in 1986, it managed to stay in the candy aisle for a little over a decade, making more than a few fans along the way. And then it was gone, much to the chagrin of all who once savored its chocolatey goodness.

Jelly Belly

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Jelly beans are not a new confection by any means. In fact, versions of the kidney_shaped candy with the hard shell and gooey interior have a history that dates back to the Civil War era. For those who like variety, however, the traditional version never offered much more than a handful of generic, artificial flavors. That is, until the arrival of the Jelly Belly. From that day forth, seemingly every flavor under the sun became available in jelly bean form, thereby converting millions of candy fans into jelly bean connoisseurs.