***some quick announcements 1) if you’d like to know what kind of looney tune could live on bubble gum, follow me on Twitter @shawnsmucker 2) if you’ve got a pile of books on your night stand you’d like to get through, check out my friend Andi’s post about her summer reading challenge (25 books by Labor Day). Now, on to Tuesday’s Top Ten.
I’ve had more than my fair share of cavities. Let’s be honest. I’ve had teeth pulled, capped, rooted, filled, braced and retained. There’s not much that hasn’t been done to my teeth (or still needs to be done – anyone doing volunteer root canals?), and I’ve pretty much chalked it up to my love of sugar.
I think of my college roommate Ryan Swain, now a dentist in Rochester, and I know that he is shaking his head in disappointment.
You may notice the lack of chocolate candy on my list, but I’m just not a big chocolate fan. I like it, but not as much as the fruity, chewy, pull the teeth from your mouth variety. I have no idea where this sweet tooth came from, but the following are my top ten favorite kinds of candy:
10) Gigantic Jawbreakers – there were many different types of candy vying for this tenth spot, I’ll be honest. And I’ll also tell you that Gigantic Jawbreakers are not my personal favorite . . . but when I was young my even younger sister got one of these stuck in her mouth, and ever since then I’ve had a special place in my heart for them (sorry, Shar, if this happened again, now that we’re older, I wouldn’t just put my hand over my mouth and point . . . and laugh . . . – I’d try to help remove it)
9) Pop Rocks – I still remember the first time I tried these, at a roller skating rink when I was about 10, and the explosions they made in my mouth had me hooked, if not for their flavor then their similarity to firecrackers
8) Sour Patch Kids – I also remember the first time I tried Sour Patch Kids: the sourness caused my whole mouth to suck in on itself until I looked like one of the Dementors from Harry Potter. It was awesome.
7) Blow Pops – these came into our previous discussion regarding top ten types of bubblegum: Candy? Good. Gum? Good. Blow Pops? Good.
6) Nerds – who named these, and what were they thinking? Somehow this candy overcame one of the dumbest names of all time, of any product, to make my candy hall of fame. I have an aunt that eats these one at a time . . . and she’s a psychoanalyst . . . I wonder what this tells her about herself? If you’re brave enough Aunt K, go ahead and comment below and let us in on your mania.
5) Sweet Tarts – one of my old stand-by favorites. Once I open the pack I cannot rest until I have devoured each and every piece.
4) Skittles – when Maile and I went on our honeymoon we had a long drive to make, something in the realm of 14 hours, and on the trip we would eat Skittles without looking at them and try to guess the flavor. I think we got through 8 or 9 packs. To this day Maile will not eat Skittles. The fact that this excess had no negative impact on my sweet tooth, or my desire for Skittles, will tell you a lot about the depraved level to which I have fallen.
3) Swedish Fish – so many varieties: small, large, grape, orange, lemon, cherry . . . but in junior high I would go to the soccer games and buy the small versions at the snack shop for one penny each. Do I sound like a grandfather?
2) Sour Skittles – these would have made number one except recently I ate an entire pack on a long drive and sort of burnt my tongue on the sourness.
1) Now N Laters – as I look over the rankings I’m beginning to realize that the higher the ranking the more detrimental that particular candy is to tooth structure. Now N Laters personally sucked at least 2 fillings from my teeth at various points in my life. Because of this I boycotted them for about ten years. But I’ve returned to eating them recently, and they’re better than ever.
Honorable Mention:
Laughy Taffy
Watchamacallit
Snickers
Whistle Pops
Ring Pops
Grape Bonkers
Atomic Fireballs
So what did I miss?
If you find that dentist for volunteer root canals, let me know . . . I had Airheads last night . . .
I think I’d move Blow Pops up and maybe Tootsie Roll Pops, too. Two sugary bits of goodness in one – can’t be beat.
Hmmm. Forgot about Tootsie Roll Pops. How did the song go? “Tootsie Roll Pops it’s a chocolatey chew, tootsie roll pops I’m in love with you. Whatever it is I think I see, becomes a tootsie roll pop to me . . .”
this is a travesty.
first off, no list of candy should include sweet tarts on a top 10.
second off, Sweet tarts should never appear on a list before Spree (or it’s even better sibling Chewy Spree)
third off, Now N Laters at #1 is preposterous. It’s the krazy glue of candy. They should just call them Laters because all i can think about when i put one in my mouth is “when is this experience going to end?”
If you’re opening it up to candy bars, original Twix has to be in the top 3. ALso missing: Mike & Ike’s, Good & Fruity, Candy stix (aka candy cigarettes), and sour watermelons.
spree – like little sweet blocks of cement
chewy spree – give me a sore throat
now n laters – heaven
mike n ike’s – are these the fancy black licorice? gross
candy cigarettes – doesn’t surprise me that these would be in your top ten. don’t you know these only lead to kids smoking the real thing at the age of 9?
No no no. the fancy black licorice are Good ‘n’ Plenty. and yes, they are disgusting.
Mike and Ikes are similar shape, but are juicier and fruit flavored. They have 2 well-known brothers: Hot Tamales and Jolly Joes, also delicious.
If you liked Now and Laters you probably liked my least favorite candy of all time: Bit O Honey. (followed closely behind by Squirrel Nut Zippers)
im gonna have to agree, sweet tarts have always been in the never eat em pile of the halloween candy :/ and now and laters are like small bricks that chip your teeth :(
I prefer the bubble gum cigars (El Bubble) to candy cigarettes, but I totally agree with your comments about sweet tarts. I’d rather eat a chew-able pepto-bismal tablet.
I’d have to add sugar babies, and licorice but i must admit most of your #10s are my weaknesses…
That giant jawbreaker…I can remember it like it was yesterday! Cracking my jaw open as wide as I possible could, and ever so slowly feeling that rock slide behind my teeth…the panic feeling that followed is something I wouldn’t be able to put into words! They should be outlawed! One positive from the experience…I think it was after the Giant jawbreaker incident that I realized I could fit my whole fist in my mouth!
You can’t really have a successful “candy top ten” without the mention of Life Savers (fruity or minty) or Starburst fruit chews, I always have one or the other available at my desk. The peppermint life savers are almost always in stock, in my vehicle. By the way the pineapple life savers are my favorite.
Pop Rocks, Blow Pops, Ring pops are awesome.
Nerds – these are easily number 1 on my list :)
Skittles – #2 for me
Snickers –
Ahh now these are great candies. One thing you DID forget are those sugar coated peach rings. THOSE are so fantastic.
I’m sorry to say that you also forgot GUMMY BEARS!!! the Haribo brand are the best ever :)
AHH i almost forgot – Mamba’s – best kept secret
Here’s my top ten…almost completely different than anyone else’s. (and I think candy bars should have a list all their own).
1. Reeces Pieces
2. Jolly Ranchers
3. Blow Pops
4. Jelly Belly
5. Atomic Fireballs
6. Peanut M&Ms
7. Whoppers
8. Licke ’em Sticks
9. Now or Laters
10. Pez (mostly for the dispenser)
Honorable Mention:
Laffy Taffy (Banana)
Gummy Bears/Worms
Circus Peanuts
Brach’s Cinnamon Candy
Caramel Squares
Fruit Slices Candy
im gonna have to agree, sweet tarts have always been in the never eat em pile of the halloween candy :/ and now and laters are like small bricks that chip your teeth :(
I guess this proves that we’re all still children at heart!! considering the passionate responses to our favorite
candies (-:
You forgot Bazooka gum ,grape flavored, of course (the fact that a gum adds a comic in its wrapper is genius)
Someone else mentioned Atomic Fireballs, an absolutely essential addition to this list.
Gushers, the soft exterior and the gooey center…
Sodalicious, there’s just no way to describe these, they were beyond delicious.
Sorry just saw the bazooka lol!! new to these here parts. Great blog!
Thanks for joining us!
How about Sixlets? I used to think they were chocolate, but am not really sure what that brown substance is
I ate an Atomic Fireball a few months ago for old time’s sake and strangely it didn’t seem all that hot.
I am glad not to see Smarties on here. Well meaning seniors give these to the already high strung children right after meeting on Sundays. Just what us parents need to deal with on the long ride home. :P
I was just talking with my coworker about this the other day at Outback steak house. Don’t know how we got on the topic actually , they brought it up. I do recall eating a excellent fruit salad with cranberries on it. I digress…
You asked what you missed do heres my answer.
You missed the worlds best candies (in my opinion). My top two would be:
2.) Twizzlers
1.) Hersheys Milk Chocolate Bar