Sweet Nostalgia: Retro Candy to Remind You of Childhood

Taste and smell are the two senses that have the biggest connection to memory. So, if you want to feel like a kid again how about enjoying some candy from yesteryear? From decade to decade, there are some sweet stand-outs that every boy and girl will remember. You can buy many of them on-line, in specialty stores, and in creative gift baskets to celebrate a milestone birthday or other significant event.

Some candies are making a comeback, such as Pop Rocks and Pez. Others have always been popular, like Cracker Jack, Jolly Ranchers and Jujyfruits. Of course, its interesting to watch the transformation of innocent sweets into tawdry treats, such as candy necklaces. These days, you can find naughty edible undergarments modeled on the childrens' jewelry.

No matter the relatively rapid change from year to year, think about your favorites... M&Ms have been around since 1941. Starburst has been popular since the 1960s. Hershey Bars? Try 1900! Even with a great deal of continuity, you may have found that your favorites are either harder to find, or completely nonexistent!

• Pop Rocks
• Candy Cigarettes
• Wax Lips
• Teaberry Gum
• Goo Goo Clusters
• Good & Plenty
• Cracker Jack
• Cherryheads
• Necco Wafers
• Crows
• Black Jack Gum
• Dots
• Freshen Up Gum
• Sixlets
• Sno Caps
• Goo Goo Clusters
• Whoppers Malted Milk Balls
• Rock Candy
• Razzles Gum
• Bazooka Bubblegum
• Charlestown Chew
• Candy Buttons
• Mike & Ike
• Violet Mints
• Charms Candy
• Atomic Fireballs
• Astro Pops
• Bit O' Honey
• Boston Baked Beans
• Spud Bar
• Sky Bar
• Sugar Babies
• Beeman's Gum
• Jujubees
• Big Hunk
• Hot Dog Gum
• Fun Dip
• Candy Necklaces
• Hot Tamales
• Chiclet gum
• Long Boy Coconut
• Clark Bars
• Pez
• Wax Bottles
• Bottlecaps
• U-No
• Sugar Daddy
• Ring Pops
• Chickostick
• Zotz
• Rootbeer Barrels
• Abba Zaba
• Candy Lipstick
• Zero Bars
• Salted Nut Roll
• Jujyfruits
• Jolly Ranchers

• Americans eat 22 pounds of candy each year, per person; more than half of this is chocolate
• 65 percent of the branded candy bars currently on the market have been there for more than 60 years
• More residents in the Midwest and Northeast eat sweets than in other parts of the country
• One of the oldest marketed candies today is the Tootsie Roll, since 1896!
• The best-selling candy bar is the Snicker's Bar - since 1930 - the name is based on a horse!
• Hershey's is responsible for the first milk chocolate bar in 1900
• The longest lasting, best marketing campaign goes to M&Ms. Introduced in 1941, they became popular with servicemen in WWII. Even today, people recognize the animated M&Ms among the top advertising icons

Styles of sweets change, just as they do with respect to clothing. Years ago, popular candy was aimed primarily at ultra-sugary sweet items. Nowadays, the focus appears to shifting towards elegant, decadent dark chocolate. Gourmet is taking over a "movie-theatre" approach to marketing and enjoyment. Along with red wine, dark chocolate is said to have anti-oxidants with health benefits, if enjoyed in moderation. That has lead to popularity of brands including Godiva, Lindt, Toblerone, and Ferro Rocher, Ghirardelli and Scharffen Berger. As with coffee, chocolate sales and production are influenced by "fair trade" agreements with certain Third World countries.

Notwithstanding the attributes of chocolate, gummi candy and jelly beans remain highly popular among candy enthusiasts. Chewing gum, too, is one of the top selling sweets in the world. Gum has been a part of culture since the Ancient Greeks, which liked to chew on tree resin (I'll bet it was hard to blow bubbles with that stuff!)

New Fads

Premium chocolate sales have soared from 2000 to 2008, increasing an astounding 129 percent! By 2011, the total chocolate sales are expected to reach over 3.6 million dollars in the United States. One of the most popular trends with respect to candy has been wisely capitalized by M&M/Mars: Order customized candies in your own colors with your own sayings. Perfect for a wedding or baby shower. Also great for a milestone birthday, reunion, or any other significant event.

Gone By the Wayside

Sorry folks, but you'll no longer be able to find these treats in grocery stores or confectioneries any more: Abba-Zaba, Astro Pops, Candy lipstick, Good-N-Fruity, certain flavors of Life Savers (Clove, Tangerine, Sour flavors, Cinnamon), many flavors of Now and Laters, wax mustaches and fingernails. This list is but a small excerpt of many more favorites....

Always Something to Tantalize Your Tongue

The "sweet tooth" will stay with us, no matter health fads and efforts at oral hygiene. Whether you are a chocoholic, or a pure, fruity sweet enthusiast, your taste buds will always be thrilled with the new candies that come on the market each year. And, for those purists, many favorites can still be found decades after being introduced. So, enjoy the walk down memory lane and perhaps you may wish to see if you can still purchase some of your favorites these days. If not, the memories themselves are probably sweet enough! And sugar-free, as well.