10 Iconic Candies Of The Past You Won't Believe Still Exist
We all know Snickers and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, but in reality there are dozens, if not hundreds, of other candies and candy bars out there that are delicious and have legions of nostalgic fans. We tracked down 10 candies from the past that you might be surprised to learn are still around and going strong.
Abba-Zaba
Made by the Annabelle Candy Company, Abba-Zaba was first manufactured in 1922 and its wrapper is immediately recognizable thanks to its black and yellow checkerboard pattern. The candy bar has a peanut butter center and an exterior of taffy.
Candy/ Bubble Gum Cigarettes
These were by and large removed from the shelves at convenience stores and other non-specialty candy shops over the past 15 or so years due to the fact that they ostensibly glorify smoking for children. But this '50s relic is still available online; some of them even let out a plume of "smoke" when you blow into them.
Chick-O-Stick
One of the few unintentionally vegan candy bars on the market, this long orange stick is produced by the Atkinson Candy Company and has a filling of peanut butter, sugar, and corn syrup and a dusting of ground coconut. When it was introduced in the 1950s, there was a chicken on the wrapper, but it was removed in recent years because some consumers began thinking that it was chicken-flavored.
GooGoo Cluster
In production since 1912, the GooGoo cluster has the distinction of being the first "combination" candy bar, meaning it contained several different components instead of just chocolate. Created by Howell Campbell and the Nashville-based Standard Candy Company, they were originally sold unwrapped in glass jars. These disk-shaped bars contain roasted peanuts, caramel, marshmallow nougat, and a milk chocolate coating, and varieties include GooGoo Supreme (with pecans instead of peanuts) and Peanut Butter GooGoo (with peanut butter instead of nougat and caramel).
Idaho Spud
"The Candy Bar That Makes Idaho Famous" has been produced by the Idaho Candy Company since 1918, and can be primarily found in the Pacific Northwest. Slightly resembling a potato due to its oblong shape, the bar is made with chocolate-flavored marshmallow covered in chocolate and rolled in coconut flakes. They're also great frozen. The Idaho Candy Bar Company also makes two other legendary candies dating to the 1920s: Old Faithful (a chocolate peanut cluster with a marshmallow center) and Cherry Cocktail (chocolate and peanuts with a cherry crème center).
Mary Jane
Originally made by the Charles N. Miller Company in 1914 and today manufactured by NECCO, these bite size candies are essentially taffy with peanut butter in the middle. They were named after Miller's favorite aunt.
Nut Goodie
Introduced in 1912, these round clusters of chocolate, maple, and peanuts are one of Pearson's oldest offerings. A Minnesota favorite, the recipe and wrapper were slightly tweaked over the years but were restored in 1985. They're similar to another Pearson offering, Bun Bars.
Squirrel Nut Zippers
This spectacularly-named candy is soft and chewy, bite-sized, and made with vanilla, caramel, and peanuts; they were introduced in the 1920s as a counterpart to the earlier Squirrel Nut Caramels, which were introduced in 1890. The Squirrel Brand Company stayed in business until 1999, and today the candies are made by NECCO.
Zagnut
One of Hershey's lesser-known offerings (and one of the few that doesn't actually contain any chocolate), Zagnut was launched in 1930 by the D.L. Clark Company (famous for their Clark Bars), and was snatched up by Hershey's in 1996. It's made with peanut brittle, toasted coconut, and a small amount of cocoa, and we're fans.
ZERO
The ZERO bar was introduced by the Hollywood Brands Candy Company of Minneapolis in 1920, and it's been manufactured by Hershey's since 1996. The interior is a mixture of caramel, peanut, and almond nougat, and it's covered in a layer of white chocolate fudge.