Whatever happened to Jujubes II?
I just ate a handful of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
It was in preparation for what I’m about to write.
I love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
I’ve had a fondness for them for as long as I can remember.
And they aren’t even my favorite candy.
It was 14陆 years ago that I first wrote about my love of penny candy (or any kind as long as it was loaded with lots of sugar).
The favorable responses to that column (“Whatever Happened to Jujubes?”) were rather satisfying.
So, I’m taking another look at all of those sugary candies I consumed in the 1950s, ’60s – and even some that are still around today.
Good & Plenty. A kid’s feast in a box. Just the perfect amount of licorice with those pink and white coverings.
Licorice appeared in many forms when I was a kid.
There were those twisted ones. They call them “Twizzlers” nowadays. And there were those long, skinny cherry-flavored ones.
Jujyfruits “Chewy Fruity Candy” was one of my favorites. I liked all of the fake fruit gummies, except for the green ones. I thought those were nasty.
When I hankered for something uncomplicated and loaded with sugar – candy corn filled that bill.
Add candy corn, Boston Baked Beans, and, what I’d call, the T-Bone steak of candy – Snickers, and you could have a complete candy dinner, with all of the requisite candy trimmings.
I didn’t like every kind of candy back then.
I wasn’t a fan of Charleston Chews, Clark Bars or Zagnuts.
To me, they lacked sophistication.
You know you’re just reading this because you have nothing better to do when the writer talks about candy lacking sophistication, don’t you?
My apologies. I get carried away with “candy talk.”
If there ever was a “sophisticated” candy, I guess Sky Bars would be it.
Those confections came with four individual pockets of sucrose heaven.
Caramel, vanilla, peanut, and fudge comprised the Sky Bar.
Let’s say you don’t like fudge – (I can’t imagine that you don’t) – then that’s the part you’d give to your friends or your little brother, so you could devour the rest of the Sky Bar in peace.
There are some flavors that could be added to anything, and I’d run to the nearest corner store and buy it.
Butterscotch and caramel were perfect on or in anything.
Caramel creams are even sitting on my pantry shelves today.
I used to think that Turkish Taffy really came from Turkey. That gave it a certain exotic appeal.
But wherever it came from, one slab of Turkish Taffy could last an entire evening.
Some candies actually sprung children.
Sugar Dadbegot Sugar Babies.
Either one of those were/are delightful.
Although eating a Sugar Daddy was like engaging in a tug-of-war with your molars.
One candy still perplexes me. I’ve never understood why they ever invented it.
Can you imagine walking into the boss’ office and saying, “I’ve got this idea for something that’s part candy and part bubble gum. I think we should call it Bubble Gum Pops?”
Candy shouldn’t frustrate the owner.
But Bubble Gum Pops certainly did that.
You’d have to put it in your mouth, for what felt like an interminable amount of time, until you got to a piece of bubble gum that you didn’t even want in the first place.
There were meaningless forms of candy (if you stretch the definition of candy), like those paraffin pop bottles, with an ounce or so of something resembling Kool-Aid inside of them.
There were times when I wanted candy with a little heft.
Give me a Chunky Bar for that purpose. Those were filled with ample amounts of Brazil nuts, raisins, cashews, and, of course, chocolate.
It was a complete meal in a candy bar. Enough to ruin your dinner. More than enough – really.
And just about enough to ruin your teeth – so my mother would tell me!
Whatever did happen to Jujubes? You can find them on Amazon. Like most things these days!
Edward A. Owens is a multi-Emmy Award winner, former reporter, and anchor for Entertainment Tonight, and 40-year TV news and newspaper veteran. E-mail him at freedoms@bellatlantic.net.