Necco Wafers! The Candy Nobody Likes!

[pyat]

commanderteddog has returned from her remarkable sojourn amongst the Yangs (E plebista!) Like most world explorers, she has returned to her native land bearing the exotic bounty of foreign realms. In my specific case, she returned bearing candy.


The Sky Bar, and Chocolate Necco Wafers! Both products of Necco, the oldest candy maker in the Western Hemisphere, founded at a time when wig powder was still being sold at Ye Olde General Store. Their candies do have the feel of a simpler time, and it's not just the retro packaging.

The Sky Bar was introduced in 1938, and it definitely has a sort of pre-War feel to it. It's not a half-pound of wax for one thing, but a small sticky bar, filled with gooey pockets. It's the candy bar you can imagine one of the younger Little Rascals eating, and getting all sticky-faced, then swallowing soap powder when they try to clean him in the wash tub, and hiccuping bubbles.

As for Necco Chocolate Wafers...


I poured some out on the stovetop for the photo, and they made a sound like poker chips, a sort of hollow rattle. They're covered in a dusting of sugar that comes off in your hands. They feel light and slippery, and when you eat them they shatter like bits of chalk. They also taste like chalk. Chalklate!

Necco wafers were invented in 1847, and it shows. They're like some kind of patent medicine that ended up just being eaten because it had a dusting of sugar - "Yes, Doctor Isambard Necco's Patented Wafers! For treatment of Female Hysteria and Colic! (Medicinal use only, not to be taken internally)"

Also, they are horrid. Also, I seem to have eaten them all, and want more.

Comments

[foomf.livejournal.com]

Necco Wafers are indeed perverse but not horrid, or you would spit them out rather than finding yourself eating them all.

Google Fit!


New England Confectionary COmpany, formed 1901 by the merger of three previous candy-making companies dating back as far as 1847. (http://www.necco.com/AboutUs/History.asp) Much good things there, they seem to be a decent enough crew historically. Note that they started advertising NECCO wafers around 1912 and that they were taken by Donald MacMillan on his Arctic expedition. Admiral Byrd took 2 1/2 tons of them to Antarctica.

The wafers are especially a favorite of military logistical types because they don't melt, don't go stale, and are relatively light.

They seem to have spent most of the last 25 years being acquired, re-acquired, purchasing, selling, and buying up other odd candy brands. They own the Clark Bar, Squirrel Nut Zippers, and of course, Canada Mints.

Now I want a Canada Mint.

Quoting the page:

In 1847, a young English immigrant, Oliver Chase, invented the first American candy machine, a lozenge cutter. After initial success selling his new candy, he and his brother, Silas Edwin, founded Chase and Co., which became the pioneer member of the NECCO family.

The original recipe for the NECCO Wafer remains basically unchanged today, and the Wafers are still made in the original eight flavors: orange, lemon, lime, clove, chocolate, cinnamon, licorice, and wintergreen. The ingredients are simply sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, gums, colorings and flavorings.

[zenten.livejournal.com]

What's a Canada Mint?

[thebitterguy]

It's the big building on Sussex.

[anidada.livejournal.com]

Isn't it that pyramidy thing out in Winterpeg?

[thebitterguy]

It is, in fact, both. But he lives in Ottawa.

[foomf.livejournal.com]

I don't know, but I want one!

[athelind.livejournal.com]

CLOVE! THAT'S the flavor I could never identify!

(and why I put BS-quotes around "fruit".)