What Does Nostalgia Taste Like?

We all had our favorite candy as kids, but the thing about growing-up is not everything sticks around as long as we do, including our favorite sweets. I guess that’s why they are referred to as “nostalgia candy”.

Every so often I stumble across one of my childhood faves in some obscure novelty shop or touristy type store (coastal and mountain shops have been great places for finding nostalgia candies).

My particular predilection for sugary satisfaction comes wrapped in days gone by and delivered with a smile.

How many of you are old enough to remember — let alone have had, some of these?

Flicks!

Basically a giant milk chocolate “chip”. They come stacked in what looks like a foil covered toilet paper tube. There isn’t very many in the package and one tube was never enough.

Flicks were a candy I seem to remember mostly getting when I went to drive-in theaters as a kid. I’m sure they probably sold them in regular stores, but candy was a luxury we only got at certain times.

I was recently in Colorado, where I grew-up, and a cousin had some of these. I couldn’t believe it. They tasted exactly the same as I remembered…except, I’m not so much of a milk chocolate fan anymore so they kind of lost their appeal for me from a flavor perspective, but cool to have seen and had them once again.

Zots!

Somewhere around here I am sure I have mentioned Zots a time or two. I love them. I especially love the purple “Grape” flavored Zots the best. In fact, the only other flavor I like are the red “Cherry” ones. the rest just kind of taste like medicine to me, but back to the purple ones…

I have to say that purple Zots are hands down in my top five favorite candies…ever!

These little bastards are hard to find, especially the purple ones. It has been almost a year since I salivated and made funny faces whilst sucking on the fizzalicious yumminess of a purple Zot.

Razzles!

OK, so I know I can’t be the only one who thought Razzles were a little weird, magical even? As a kid I had a love/hate relationship with Razzels. I liked the flavor OK, but it was the fact they start as a chalky somewhat crunchy “candy” and then turn into a stiff, but manageable piece of gum.

Unfortunately what flavor they had didn’t last long at all and mostly I ended up with an aching jaw. I still pick these up from time to time, but I am sure it’s been a couple of years at least.

Interestingly, I LOVE the smell of Razzles. Yes, I know, I’m weird, but my dad and step-mother once went on a trip to France [and a few other countries] and one of the souvenirs they brought back for me was a small glass Eiffel Tower with bubble-bath powder in it. It smelled exactly like Razzles. I was in my 20’s at the time and hadn’t seen, heard or had Razzels since childhood yet that was what came to mind the second I opened it and sniffed. I was immediately taken back to days gone by playing freeze-tag on my Aunt Jan’s front lawn.

Nik-L-Nip Wax Candy

Nik-L-Nip? Seriously? As an adult I see this now and know the term “nip” refers to someone “nipping at a bottle” and usually said bottle in such a context is one of booze….hmmmm….I guess that’s why they also sold candy “cigarettes” too, but we’ll get to that one later for now pass me the bottle…

I liked many of the wax candies. My least favorite were these type that were filled with some colored watery fluid. The actual wax in these — that is meant to be chewed, didn’t have much flavor. As a kid I preferred the wax lips and mustaches which are pretty easily found today although I have completely out-grown my taste for them.

Candy Cigarettes

Yes really. I am ashamed to say, I loved these things, but it is the Maker’s of these things that should really be ashamed. They were made to resemble the real thing; from the packaging to the product. Of course they were candy and you just crunched them up like pretzel sticks, but many a kid walked around pretend-puffing on these often vaguely minty candies. Some even came with a paper wrapper that was inner coated with a powder so that if kids puffed or blew on them they would have “smoke”.

Can you imagine a parent today giving these candies to their children? Exactly! Our evolution and knowledge is still new.

Ice Cubes

Nuttin’ cold about these Ice Cubes. I loved these as an adolescent and teen. They would often be found on the counters at convenience stores and gas station. I would grab a couple every time.  At the time, to me, they were the best tasting chocolate I’d ever had. Mon Cheri`’s later took that spot, but in the meantime these were the shit.

Ice Cubes, just like the real ones, melted fast so it was always an eat’em now kind of purchase. I’d be so irritated if I bought some and they melted too much before i got a chance to eat them. The foil the were wrapped in was somewhat delicate so once they melted a little that foil was embedded in the chocolate. My teeth are killing me right now just thinking about the many times I’d inadvertently chewed pieces of gold foil because of my min-obsession with these chocolate Ice cubes.

There are so many other candies from my childhood that I could have listed, but this post would easily get out of hand if I did so it’s your turn!

What were some of your favorite candies as a kid? Are they still easily found today?