Cavity-Induced Nostalgia
In a time of white, beige, and minimalism, it’s not hard to look back and remember the wacky packaging of times gone by. The 90s and early 2000s were the wild west of odd goodies, but funky-shaped candies have existed since the early 20th century. Take a look at this list below to take a sugary walk down memory lane.
1. Zotzs
Zotz candy was first introduced in 1968 in Italy and quickly made its way to America due to its popularity. The sour candy instantly fizzed as it touched your tongue, and came in cherry, watermelon, strawberry, blue raspberry, apple, orange, and grape flavors.
2. Whatchamacallits
A delicious addition from Hershey, Whatchamacallits are candy bars made up of chocolate, peanut butter, and caramel, similar to a granola bar. This yummy snack was first introduced in 1978 and became a staple due to its taste and unforgettable name.
3. Bottle Caps
Bottle caps are sweet candies that were introduced back in 1972. Offered in grape, cola, orange, root beer, and cherry flavors, these little tables were made to look like metal soda bottle caps. They’re similar to Smarties, Rockets, SweeTarts, and Runts.
4. Rootbeer Barrels
Looking and tasting like its namesake, this funky little candy was dark brown and carefully designed to look like a wooden barrel full of the delicious soft drink. This particular candy has been around since the early 20th century.
5. Hubba Bubba Bubble Tape
If you brought this to class, you were instantly one of the most popular kids of the day. Bubble tape came wrapped around itself in circular-shaped packaging, allowing the chewer to pick how much gum they wanted. You likely knew (or were) the kid who just bit a chunk out of the side of the circle, or tried to put the whole thing in their mouth.
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6. Nerds Rope
Combining the tartness of Nerds candy and the chewiness of a gummy, this Wonka-made candy first launched in 2001 and became an overwhelming success. The taste is fruity, and it has a perfect blend of hard and soft candy mouthfeel.
7. Fun Dip
Originally called Lik-M-Aid, this classic kids' candy has been around since the 1940s. You get to eat flavored sugar off of a sugar stick— what’s not to like? The original flavors for Fun Dip were lime, cherry, and grape, but it is available in over 10 flavors today.
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8. Popeye Candy Sticks
The classic “cigarette” for kids, Popeye Sticks are made up of sugar, bubblegum, or chocolate, and wrapped in paper. The term ‘candy cigarette’ hasn’t officially been used since the 70s after research showed that these names primed kids to take up real smoking. That hasn’t stopped kids from imitating the act of smoking, however.
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9. Pop Rocks
This exploding candy was first introduced in 1976. Consisting of sugar, lactose, and flavoring, the special edge of this candy is the pressurized carbon dioxide that gives it the popping reaction. If anyone is still concerned about eating Pop Rocks and drinking soda, have no fear. There is no acid mixture in Pop Rocks!
10. Nik-L-Nip
Another early 20th-century delicacy, Nik-L-Nip was a bottle-shaped candy that cost 5 cents apiece. The fun part of this candy was ‘nipping’ the top of the wax container off to drink the fruity syrup inside. You can enjoy this candy in cherry, orange, lemon, blue raspberry, or green apple flavors.
11. Sour S’ghetti
This Haribo-made candy has been around for many years, likely since the 1920s, although the official release date is unknown. Sour S'ghetti is an extra-sour treat made up of long strands that you could enjoy. In this case, we guess you could play with your food.
12. Gold Mine Gum
While the candy itself isn’t necessarily interesting, Gold Mine gum made use of some fantastic marketing. Purchased in a gold-rush style burlap bag, this retro candy lets every kid feel a little bit rich.
13. Jawbreakers
Jawbreakers, or Gobstoppers, found their way into the mouths of many in the early 20th century. These candies are made through a process called panning, which involves adding layer upon layer of sugar syrup and flavor to the central core. A delicious treat and a challenge, as you get to experience different flavors as you make your way to the centre.
14. Goo Goo Clusters
Known as America’s first combination candy bar, Nashville’s Standard Candy Company released this tasty treat back in 1912. It combines marshmallow nougat, caramel, roasted peanuts, and a chocolate coating, making for a textured circular-esque shape.
15. Chic-O-Sticks
Produced by the Atkinson Candy Company since the 1950s, the Chick-O-Stick consists of peanut butter, cane sugar, corn syrup, coconut, vanilla, and salt. The original packaging for this candy featured a chicken wearing a cowboy hat.
16. Gummy Coke Bottles
Introduced in the 1930s and inspired by the classic Coke bottle shape, gummy Coca-Cola bottles have been a popular candy for over 100 years. They’re fun to squish, taste good, and are fun to pretend to drink.
17. Bonkers!
Popular in the 1980s, Bonkers was a rectangular-shaped candy filled with a fruity filling. Unfortunately, they didn’t remain a staple in the average household and were ultimately forgotten about until 2012, when Leaf Brands LLC acquired the trademark. However, we still haven’t seen them grace our shelves again.
18. Gummy Pizzas
Popular as a Halloween party favor or stocking stuffer treat, Gummy Pizzas are fun to eat and more fun to share. Trying to cut up a small piece of candy to share amongst friends was half the enjoyment.
19. Ring Pops
A piece of jewelry of the highest caliber for any 10-year-old, Ring Pops are the ultimate hands-free sucker. The candy was first introduced in 1979 by Rank Richards and was actually created as a way to stop his daughter from sucking her thumb.
20. Ooze Tubes
Invented in the 1990s, this gel-like candy looked similar to a lip gloss package. Typically filled with blue raspberry, watermelon, or green apple, this candy would satisfy any sugar cravings for weeks on end.
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