Our Favorite Things: Candy!

Posted June 9, 2020 by Alyssa Stahr

As if we didn’t need a reason before to enjoy candy, June is National Candy Month! The National Confectioners Association (NCA) has designed the month to celebrate “the unique role of candy in a happy, balanced lifestyle,” and we’re all for it. 

National Candy Month isn’t just about gorging oneself through the chocolate, gummy, sugary train of candy comas. It’s more about recognizing innovators, retailers and people who make, sell, enjoy and love candy. In fact, did you know that there are more than 55,000 employees directly in the candy industry in the U.S. — but the industry also supports an additional 400,000 jobs in retail, agriculture, transportation and more.

Nostalgia in candy is a huge consumer demand right now, and Jonathan’s favorite candy bar reflects that trend. “If I wasn’t being summoned to get my grandfather an ice cold Olympia beer, it was a Mr. Goodbar. It was his favorite. Not necessarily the best candy bar, but it’s my favorite because it reminds me of him. Miss you, Grandpa.”

Jasmyne also thinks back to her childhood with her favorite candy choice: Twin Snakes from Haribo. “They’re just so good. You get both the sour and sweet in each piece. Honestly, the entire line of Haribo gummies are good! Reminds me of my childhood when I would go grocery shopping with my mom, and we go down the candy aisle and I would quickly grab a bag and sneak it into the cart. I thought I was being sneaky, but my mom knew every time!”

The month is also about celebrating iconic brands that have long-standing histories. The Hershey company is one of the largest candy manufacturers in the world, part of the $35 billion in U.S. retail sales. Alison’s favorite candy, TWIZZLERS Pull ‘N’ Peel, is under the Hershey’s umbrella. “It’s officially summer, and you can probably find me, my family and my friends floating on a river somewhere in the middle of Missouri. I was raised on float trips, and subsequently, Pull ’n’ Peel Cherry TWIZZLERS. I don’t know why or how this started, and it’s not just my family that always did this, but everyone we go with. You can find the cherry ropes as a staple snack on every raft. Even this past weekend having 20 of my family members out for a five-mile float, every single family brought their own bag to peel and share with everyone else.”

Yours truly had a tough time narrowing down my favorite candy. I’m a total chocolate bar girl — from Twix to 100 Grand to Snickers — I’ll take them all. But, I think if I was pressed to name my favorite it would be Milky Way. I’m a sucker for caramel and malt flavoring, and this bar satisfies both. 

Keith is a fan of the Milky Way as well, but if you force him to name a favorite, it’s definitely Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Simply nothing better than chocolate and peanut butter in Keith’s estimation. 

Want to follow the candy craze? Check out these National Candy Month social media hashtags and accounts:

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