Food tagged with 70s - 2/8

Bubblicious

Prior to the 1970s, chewing gum was only available in a few incarnations, the vending machine gumball, the stick, and little hard individually-wrapped wads such as Bazooka and Dubble Bubble. But along with disco and CB radios, the 70s will also be remembered for another, and longer-lasting, contribution to the world - the advent of soft gum. And while Bubblicious wasn't the first on the market, its full spectrum of delicious flavors has kept it one of the biggest selling soft gum products of all time.

Cactus Cooler

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In California, carbonated soft drink fans have long enjoyed a little local delicacy called Cactus Cooler. A welcome addition to any backyard barbecue, beach party, or anywhere else the blistering sun beckons you to reach for some ice-cold refreshment, the fluorescent green nectar contained in these yellow, orange and green cans has been quenching thirsts for decades. Let’s look back at this beloved beverage.

Candy Cigarettes

8 Comments

Years before the public fully understood the dangers associated with smoking tobacco, it was glamorized to no end in movies and on television. And youngsters weren’t immune to the allure of their favorite hero suavely dangling a cigarette from his or her mouth. Eager to imitate the image, but a little too young for the real thing, we settled for candy cigarettes. Now a tyke could hang out on the street corner, a miniature James Dean or Bette Davis, showing that they too had what it took to look tough (fake pack rolled neatly in the sleeve of their shirt.) Eventually, of course, nicotine addiction became frowned upon and so did confectionery replicas of cigarettes, who finally lost their…cool.

Cap’n Crunch

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Of the many modern urban myths that tangentially involve breakfast foods, there is one universally accepted truth that has been handed down unchanged from successive generations since its inception in 1962. Unaffected by the march of time, immune to the threat of the frozen microwave breakfast brigade, this truth goes marching onward in the whispers of knowing children, and in the late-night binge by their parents who remember too late to save themselves: if you eat Cap’n Crunch too quickly, or for too long, you will experience the dreaded Cap’n Crunch Mouth. CCM is an unfortunate malady that shreds the gums and roof of the mouth, rendering the subject useless for the next four to eight hours. Depending on the severity of the damage and the sensitivity of the subject, one conceivably could suffer for several days, unable to chew anything more complicated than oatmeal, which, incidentally, is where Cap’n Crunch got his start.

Cereal Box Archive

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Through half-opened eyes and a cloud of sleep-deprived fog, we stared at them intently every morning while shoveled their contents into our mouth. That box of breakfast cereal greeted and enthralled us each day. And yet, take a walk down the cereal aisle today and only a handful of favorites from yesteryear remain – and most of those are barely recognizable. Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a place to go, where you could revisit the glory days of breakfast cereal boxes?

Chiclets

Chips Ahoy

Choco’Lite

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The discontinued candy graveyard is filled with confections that once delighted us in our youth, yet for one reason or another, dropped off the radar. Such was the case with a sweet treat from the 70s called Choco'Lite, an airy candy bar consisting of whipped milk chocolate and something described on the wrapper as "crispy chips." To many, they were one of the tastiest candy bars ever made. And then, without warning of fanfare, they disappeared from store shelves. Today, they are but a memory.

Chunky

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One of the first things that come to mind when reminiscing about Chunky candy bars is the old saying, “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” Sure, it is still a wonderful and tasty candy bar with a loyal following. Oh but in its glory days, Chunky was truly something special; a classic.

Circus Peanuts

2 Comments

If there is one candy that people aren’t afraid to voice an opinion on, it is those orange, oddly shaped marshmallow confections known as Circus Peanuts. To some, they are God’s greatest gift to the candy world, worthy of undying devotion. To others, they are more akin to packaging material than a yummy snack. One thing is for certain though - there are very few people that fall into the “undecided” column.