Remember the Nostalgic Candy From Your Childhood

There are a lot of memories circling around in each of our brains when it comes to our childhood. There are those moments we spent talking to our imaginary friends, sitting in car seats that smelled slightly of wet dog and were caked with Pop Tart crumbs. There are the memories of spending Thanksgiving at grandma’s house, complete with a giant turkey so big it could feed twenty people, a pile of stuffing so large it could feed a small army, of going around the big dining room table and stating what we were thankful for. There are memories that involve going down the giant sledding hill in our plastic red sled, holding hands with our next-door neighbor as the sun set over the mountains – the list goes on and on. As adults, there are many things that remind us of when we were younger, be it a sound, a scent, a popular song, or a forgotten teddy bear that resurfaces. We’ve all got mementos that we hold on to, things that remind us of a time when things were easier, simpler – when we didn’t have to worry about paying our bills on time or showing up to work, when college was a far off place in the distance, when getting married and raising a family was just a figment of our imagination. These days, the average adult’s life is so chock full of meetings and errands and things to do. Most of us rarely have time to sit and take a deep breath, let alone sit and reminisce. But what if you could do just that – what if you had a few minutes to sit back and think about the past, to let your memories come flooding in? What if there was an easy way to go back in time, a simple way to return to a place in your mind when you were footloose and fancy-free? There are a few ways to do it. Sure, you can hear that great song on the radio, or you can thumb through an old photo album. But there are better ways to sink into a memory, and they often involve sinking your teeth into a delicious piece of candy.

That’s right, nostalgia can often be found in the candy aisle. Sweets and treats have long held a place in the hearts of people young and old, and for good reason. Taking a bite of chocolate can make all your troubles melt away, sucking on a lollipop can take you back to your high school days, picking at cotton candy can bring you back to the state fair of 1975. Candy, in all its different forms, is a wonderful incarnation of nostalgia.

Take, for instance, a strip of mega buttons. How many of us remember the days of sitting on our front stoop, picking button after button off with our teeth, feeling the slightly sour and oh so sweet candy dissolve on our tongue while the summer’s heat beat down from above? Those mini candy buttons you loved as a kid are now available in a mega-sized version. They still come on a strip, but now, they’re ¾ of an inch wide! Whether you’re reminiscing about your favorite color of candy button, or offering them to a friend to try for the first time, there’s really no going astray with these amazing nostalgic candies.

Ask anyone who grew up in the sixties what their favorite candy was back in the day, and they’re likely to tell you it was all about the Sugar Daddies. These giant caramel like chewy lollipops do a number on your teeth, but they sure are delicious! They’ll take you back to nights at the drive in movie theater, your date’s arm draped ever so carefully around your shoulder as the scary music of the latest horror film kicks into gear. Sugar Daddies are best eaten in moderation, since they’re chewy enough to do some serious damage on your chompers. Enjoy!

Is there anything better in life than a Tootsie Roll? These chewy chocolate nostalgic candy have been around forever, and for good reason – they’re dangerously addictive, even more so than the beloved Hershey’s Kiss. They come in many flavors in addition to chocolate, and can even be found at the center of Tootsie Pops (tootsie rolls with a lollipop exterior). Delightful, tiny, and easy to eat, these candies are packaged in the same classic wax paper that they’ve been wrapped in for years. Some things never change, and in the case of Tootsie Rolls, that lack of change is for the better. Looking to take a trip back in time with just one bite? Pop a Tootsie Roll into your mouth, sit back, and let the good memories roll on in.

Jimmy Haley is a freelance writer who writes about shopping and food products including nostalgic candy.