Candy

I read a book over the summer that I really liked. It was called Candy Freak and it was pretty much a book about candy in America. The author, Steve Almond (really!) visited a few candy factories across America because he likes candy and wanted to see them. I had two favorite factories.
One was the Idaho Candy Company that makes the Idaho Spud and the Cherry Cocktail along with a couple other candies. The author said this was one of his favorites and explained it thoroughly which is probably why I liked it too (also, I really like Idaho Spuds and I ate about one a week after reading this book until we left Utah). The owner is Dave Wagers, a young guy in his 30's, and is really excited to be making candy. It is a pretty great interview. I learned that they move sugar by blowing it onto the roof. They have this huge machine that will blow it all up. Awesome. Also, the secret ingredient is agar agar, a seaweed derivative that gives the spud its resilience.

My second favorite factory was the Standard Candy Company, which produces the Goo Goo Cluster. I haven't ever had a Goo Goo Cluster but apparently they are a pretty big deal. They are honored at Country Music Festivals and have been crowned as "The Official Candy Bar of the South." I liked the Goo Goo Cluster factory because it sounded so violent. It is not a uniform bar like a Reese's or a Toblerone- you expect those candies to come in a certain shape. The Goo Goo is a half caramel/half marshmallow disc that is dipped in chocolate, spun and shot at with flying peanuts, and then flung into another coating of chocolate. The author said his guide was just as excited as he was to watch all of it, and that they go to eat them off the conveyor.

Another part of the book mentioned that it is actually really hard to break into the candy market. People don't often go out and try new candies and stick with them. Candy is not something you improve upon to get more customers. People buy candy to make themselves feel good. It is a comfort thing and people buy what they are familiar with. We have a few candies that we like and we tend to stick to those most. I thought it was really interesting, especially because the companies that the author visited were only small companies- he didn't ever contact any of "the big three" (Hershey's, Mars, or Nestle). The small companies tended to only sell to surrounding areas. It's doubtful Idaho Spuds will start selling big in South Carolina, or that the Goo Goo Cluster will sweep Nebraska by storm (which is a shame because I am a little bit enchanted by the thought of it), but they do really well in their own neighborhoods and region.
So I think you should read it,

Also, I think you should let me know what your favorite candies are. I have included some of mine below.


Reese's Peanut Butter Cups- Best enjoyed NOT melted

Grape Bubbalicious- I liked eating these a whole pack at once so you are gnawing on just a section of it at a time. The flavor lasts longer that way and it's more fun.

TropiFrutti- Haribo makes them. They are a kind of gummy candy that are sort of hard on the outside and they have pretty cool flavors

Gushers- I kind of like these now because I was SO JEALOUS as a kid of all the other kids who got fruit snacks with liquid filling. The idea still blows me away. It is like those old toys that I wish I could go back and play with. I will probably always love Gushers now.

Pop Tarts- What can I say? I love them , but they are definitely candy. It's just an excuse to eat candy for breakfast. I think I like Pop Tarts for the same reason I like Gushers, but I actually have Pop Tarts because I feel like they are more excusable- sometimes I eat them for breakfast. What reason could I possibly have for buying Gushers? (I actually rarely eat my Pop Tarts for breakfast. It's kind of crazy, but I often think to myself "this is a normal weekday and I have to go to school- why would I waste a Pop Tart on today?")

Hershey's plain candy bars- I feel guilty that a "big three" is one of my favorites, but it is just so versatile and delicious. I don't think I believe that once you go Euro, you don't go back. It could also just be my bank account keeping me All American.

Galaxy- I think they might have these here in the US too, but I haven't tried it yet. I would get these in Cyprus from the Supermarket. It used to be a British Colony until like, '64 or something. Maybe '56. Anyways, they had lots of English imported stuff and it was pretty good. They have one kind that was filled with little pockets of caramel. I ate a LOT of candy as a missionary. Ha ha, once my companion and I thought we would make some homemade hot chocolate so I bought a half pound bar of white chocolate and we melted it down and added a cup of milk and drank it. We were so sick and had to stay in that evening because we both wanted to throw up. It was pretty much like drinking straight up fat.

Twizzlers pull and peel- I like these more for the novelty than for the actual taste. They kind of have a funky aftertaste (at least the Cherry ones do) but its really not too bad. Plus you can whip people with the strands.

Starburst- Yeah, Starbursts are pretty good.

Oh man, I've always wanted one of those 4 foot long gummy snakes. It seems like a dream. Or like, an airliner made out of gummy candy? That would be awesome. I have often thought about how cool it would be to jump into a pool of peanut butter. Not a sissy baby pool or anything, but to get thrown deep into the middle of an Olympic sized pool of peanut butter. I wonder if it would hurt.
Anyone else's candy wishes/dreams?