7 Nostalgic Candies

Almost everyone has a candy or two that exemplifies their childhood. For me, it’s a Whatchamacallit. A girl named Megan gave one to me the day my parents and I moved into a new neighborhood. I was six and it’s always stuck with me.

There are certain candies that just evoke the old general store, complete with suspendered-proprietor, rows of “tonic” and Jimmy Stewart (he’s in all my fantasies of pre-1960s America).

To that end, I’ve made a list of nostalgic candies that bring back a more innocent time in our country – when high-waisted pants were the norm and all women wore white gloves (even the naughty ones).

1. Beemans, Clove and Blackjack Gum

Unfortunately, in terms of mass consumption, these jewels of yesteryear have gone the way of the Washington Senators, many of whom probably chewed these brands.

2. Chocolate Drops

These are my grandfather’s favorite candies so my mom loads up whenever she finds them. They’re like the ancestors of M&Ms – minus the crunchy candy shell. (Apparently they melt in your hand, not in your mouth.) In my extensive research for this article, I have discovered that Hershey’s sells something they call Hershey’s Drops. I’ll have to ask Gramps if they’re the same thing.

3. Clark Bars

Older women and men probably remember Clark Bars as the Butterfingers of their day. The D.L. Clark Company is responsible for creating many of today’s favorite chocolate candy concoctions – Clark Bars were reportedly the first candy to incorporate peanut butter, coconut and mint.

4. Butterscotch Discs

Everyone’s grandma (unless she’s hypoglycemic or a serial killer or something) gives her grandchildren butterscotch discs at some point. These little medallions of buttery goodness are responsible for many a pre-teen cavity.

5. Boston Baked Beans

Amazingly, these are SO MUCH BETTER than your average baked bean. Probably because they’re really candy (SPOILER ALERT). According to the official Boston Baked Beans website, the sugar-covered peanuts take 4 days to manufacture and were introduced around the same time as Red Hots… a candy that lives up to being both red AND hot.

6. Sugar Daddy

These ewy-gooey pieces of sugary fabulousness will keep a kid’s trap shut for a good half-hour (probably why I was given so many as a child). Just don’t eat too many; lockjaw can ensue.

7. Marshmallow (aka Circus) Peanuts

I’ve always had a love-hate with marshmallow peanuts. On the one hand, they’re candy, so ipso facto, they’re preferable to all non-candy food. BUT, I was always highly disappointed to receive them in lieu of some caramel and chocolate – so while I wouldn’t pick them if stranded on a desert island, I’d eat them if they grew locally.

What are your favorite nostalgic candies? Tell us all of the sugary details below.