Halloween approacheth, and with it come stories of all sorts about one of my all-time favorite foodstuffs: CANDY! Demonize it if you will — I certainly do, though my naysayings are often tongue-in-cheek — but candy remains one of my solidest, most unadulterated pleasures, even at my age. I’m not saying I’m getting on in years, though most people (by 26) have replaced candy with loftier enjoyments like going to the MoMA, drinking fine scotch, or watching the Roomba suck up every bit of dust from their hardwood floors. Not I! Here are some candy-themed pieces that are thoughtful, enlightening, or just plain fun.
OH MY GOD: I am so jealous of these kids.
This New York Times article profiles Samira Kawash, the so-called “Candy Professor” whose personal obsession with the social history of candy propelled her to create a blog on the subject (and retire from academia to pursue her sweets-research). Saveur presents a gallery of international candy bars — I’d like to try the Idaho Spud, dumpy as its packaging is (or perhaps because of the dumpy packaging). Sugarcrafter offers a recipe for homemade candy corn, which I may try, and the LA Times highlights the Mendez family, who make traditional Mexican confections using generations-old recipes. In cultural nostalgia-related news, Willy Wonka’s flavor changing gum has been produced! We’re still waiting on Fizzy Lifting Drink. Actual candy more your bag? Check out the world’s largest gummy worm. (Note: I disagree with the author’s assessment of the confection as “gross.” How rude! “Genius” is more like it.) Finally, in gripes, City Pages’ Rachel Hutton echoes the claim that Fun Size bars are getting smaller. Snickers hasn’t yet responded to Hutton’s inquiry about reduced bar size, but the article features a picture of a Fun Size bar next to a tape measure, so, I mean, the accusation is probably true.
That’s all the news from Lake Woebegone. This weekend, I’ll be carving a pumpkin, ransacking my closet for something that could be used as a costume, and enjoying individually-wrapped candies, of course! It’s never as fun to purchase for oneself said candies, but I’m afraid that my inability to pass for a tween renders any other collection method impossible. Oh, well: that’s why Assortments were created.
Garky Eats. 