Sugar Savvy

Candy lovers everywhere rejoiced this June in honor of National Candy Month.  Did you celebrate?
I certainly did, with a little help from the nice people at Emily’s Chocolates, who sent me some of their Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries to sample.
Emily’s Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries are part of their Every Day Treasures Line and come in a […]

If I remember correctly, Steve Almond wrote about tracking down the Idaho Spud in Candy Freak and watches them as they are made. He then eats one and hates it. You’d think that would have been enough to stop me from paying way too much for one at an overpriced candy boutique that charges a […]

A few days ago, my parents returned from a little European vacation. The only thing I asked that they bring me (other than some nice, smoky Spanish paprika) was a little turron or torrone, delicious soft honey nougat studded with nuts, from Spain and Italy, respectively (the two countries on their itinerary). Nougat, as opposed […]

I got a box of Meiji Porte Hokkaido Milk candies (available from Amazon or J-list) along with several other Japanese candies courtesy of my friend Michael. They were so delicious that I immediately thanked him for bringing them into my life.

I would call these candies vanilla creme over a light chocolate cookie with a thin […]

After my review of Liberty Orchards’ Aplets and Cotlets, which were a gift from my friend Rita, posted on my personal site, her mother left a comment promising to bring me the chocolate covered version next. And, lo and behold, when Rita’s parents visited her at school, they came bearing a box of Liberty Orchards’ […]

Back in March, over my spring break, I road-tripped to Chicago with my dear friends Katie, Chris, Rita, and Steve (who needs to get a blog or something. I’m not going to be creepy and link to his facebook page). Lemme tell ya, you’ve got to really love the people you’re road-tripping with, especially when […]

This little cherry ménage a trois all began when my friend Tripp came across a Twin Bing in Seaside, Oregon, at a candy store specializing in retro and off-beat products. We had both read and about the Twin Bing in Steve Almond’s book, Candy Freak, a few years ago, and try to keep our ears […]

Ah the elusive Skybar; a nostalgic bit of American candy history that is often talked about, but difficult to track down today.
According to the Necco website, the Skybar was introduced in 1938 through a dramatic skywriting campaign. Apparently it was the first, and only, molded chocolate bar of its kind to have four distinctly different […]

M&Ms has a history of movie tie-ins — at least, I know they’ve done tie-ins with Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean in recent years. The Star Wars campaign brought us the Dark M&Ms, which are now part of the permanent lineup. The white chocolate Pirate Pearls didn’t fare quite as well.

This year, the […]

Not too long ago I was standing in the danger zone — read: checkout lane — with my family, trying to figure out the best way to arrange my groceries on the conveyor so that the checkout lad could pack them in such a way that we’d get 12 out of 12 eggs intact at home […]