Food tagged with 60s - 4/5

Necco Wafers

There are a number of candies that just seem like they have always been here. And that's because their invention far exceeds any of our lifespans. And if you ever wanted to know what the oldest continually-produced candy in America is, look no further than those powdery quarter-shaped wafers, known the world over as Necco.

Ovaltine

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Parents tend to sigh in relief whenever their children take a liking to something that also happens to be nutritionally sound. And for many years now (longer than the broadcast of radio in this country), Ovaltine has sold itself as a vitamin-rich beverage with a flavor that every kid loves. Truth be told, maybe not every kid, but enough to sell millions of jars of the powdered drink mix over the years.

Pez

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Many toys have come and gone over the years, but create one that spits out candy every time you play with it and you've got a sure winner. Better yet, offer a vast selection of dispensers modeled after just about every pop culture icon to ever exist, each filled to the brim with a stack of yummy fruit-flavored confections, and you're assured to win the heart of every kid (and collector) in existence. Yes, today our focus is on Pez candy.

Pop-Tarts

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Forget about your Pastry Swirls and your silly Snak-Stix... we're talking the real deal: Pop Tarts. These foil-encased, toaster-ready rectangles have been delighting kids for decades, either as an easy-to-carry breakfast treat on the way to school, or as an afternoon snack. Actually, you can enjoy a nice warm pop tart just about anytime (assuming you even took the time to warm them, that is).

Quisp

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After the runaway success of Cap’n Crunch, Quaker Oats wanted another new original character cereal to market. Inspired by the popularity of the U.S. space program, Jay Ward productions (of Rocky and Bullwinkle fame) delivered Quisp to Quaker Oats-- and the world at large-- in 1966. The result - a breakfast cereal so beloved that it was resurrected to much applause, decades after its original demise.

Razzles

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Not since the Tootsie Pop has a candy demanded so much self-control. Razzles claim to fame is that they start out as a candy, but once chewed magically transform into chewing gum. That is, if you can get over the hump of letting the transformation take place. It is all too tempting to simply swallow them in candy form. But for those with the virtue of patience, yummy gum soon follows.

Screaming Yellow Zonkers

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Sure, when you ponder sweetened popcorn snacks, you might immediately think of the iconic Cracker Jack, the boxed treat that has been forever linked with America’s favorite pastime. But not everyone enjoys peanuts mixed with their popcorn, and in the 60s, a company called Lincoln Snacks introduced a clever and humorous alternative to the beloved Cracker Jack. Given the name, Screaming Yellow Zonkers, it was clear out of the gate that this decidedly different concoction might not be taking themselves all too seriously. That didn’t stop millions from embracing this popcorn treat that dared to be different.

Smarties

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You've just spent the evening knocking on every neighborhood door within sight, watching your pillowcase or plastic jack o' lantern gradually fill with tasty confections. Returning home, you eagerly dump out the rewards of your labor and scan to see what you've collected. And, much like every other kid who has ever performed this ritual, you are likely to come across a few rolls of little tablet-shaped candies wrapped in clear plastic. Both sweet and tangy, with a distinct powdery consistency, Smarties have been a staple of Halloween for over six decades.

SpaghettiOs

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Isn't it funny how food can serve so aptly as a time machine? The mere mention of some items can miraculously transport us right back to the kitchen table of our youth. Such is the power of SpaghettiOs, those tiny rings of pasta packed in a strangely-sweet orange sauce. Of course, it also doesn't hurt that they have left an indelible mark on our memory with that brain-adhesive catch phrase/jingle "Uh, oh, SpaghettiOs!" Perhaps that's why, even in adulthood, when we know we should never eat such things, some of us are still compelled to grab a can of the stuff on occasion and toss it into the shopping cart when nobody is looking. Powerful stuff.

Stuckey’s

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If your family ever took one of those summer road-trip vacations, you likely encountered Stuckey’s somewhere along your route. An oasis for highway travelers of any sort, Stuckey’s offered a place to rest, gas up, or have a 99-cent breakfast (back in the day, at least). If you had a sweet tooth, they had plenty of their famous pecan rolls on hand; if you needed a quick souvenir, they offered a wall-to-wall assortment of trinkets, from rattlesnake earrings to coffee mugs, Mexican rugs to t-shirts. Stuckey’s was a welcoming sight to many a weary family.