The Roaring 20's had Sweet Old Fashioned Candy
The roaring 20's, that they were! The world was changing, people were bolder and had much more of a rebellious attitude. The fashion had completely changed, especially for females. Any bit of being "Victorian" looking or modest went out the window. Organized crime was at an all-time high, fueled by prohibition. There were bootleggers, flappers and this cool new music called "jazz". Most people began to discover the "city" life, and less lived in rural areas and farms. The economy was booming, there were shiny new cars on the road, money to be made, and lots of brand new inventions. Besides the new innovative washing machines, refrigerators, radios and televisions, there was lots of delicious new candy to be had!
Here are our top ten candies from the 1920's:
#1. Oh Henry Chocolate Bar
The Oh Henry Chocolate Bar is fully loaded, with roasted peanuts, caramel and that "big hunk of fudge". Along with all this decadence, it is then completely wrapped in rich milk chocolate. The old-fashioned Oh Henry Chocolate Bars were brought to us by, Tom Henry from Arkansas City, Kansas, in 1919. Tom Henry ran a candy company called "The Peerless Candy Factory". He must have been inspired by the wafting scent of all that sweet candy! Tom Henry wanted to cash in on his chocolate bar, that went by the name of "Tom Henry". Eventually, he decided to sell his namesake Chocolate Bar in 1920, to the "Williamson Candy Company". That's when this chocolate bar was renamed the "Oh Henry". They say it got this name because there was a young and curious boy who loved to frequent the Williamson Factory. Upon his visits, he especially loved to assist all the young ladies working, and they could often be heard calling for help from Henry, hence the name "Oh Henry". I can just hear it now! The Oh Henry Chocolate Bar remains just as delicious as it was in the 1920's!
#2. Abba Zabba Candy Bar
This distinctive, old-fashioned candy bar, Abba Zabba, is more than appealing. With its unique combination of vanilla taffy and peanut butter, this delicious, dynamic duo of flavours come together wonderfully to create the perfect old-fashioned candy bar, Abba Zabba. This famous treat was brought to us by a Russian immigrant, Sam Altshuler. He had just arrived in America in 1917, just a few short years before the Abba Zabba became a popular candy bar. Sam Altshuler owned a candy company he called the "Annabelle Candy Company" which was named after his daughter. The Abba Zabba Candy Bar came to be in 1922 and very quickly got noticed. Those Flappers and Gangsters must have worked up quite an appetite! The Abba Zabba became a number one seller in America. It's hard not to notice this candy bar with it's black and yellow checkerboard wrapper. The Annabelle Candy Company have brought us some other old-fashioned treats such as the Big Hunk Candy Bar, The Look Candy Bar and the Rocky Road Chocolate Bar. Abba Zabba has been loved for years now, in fact for generations. It was probably made most famous by Dave Chappelle in the movie, Half Baked when he referred to his Abba Zabba bar as "his only friend". I say the Abba Zabba is a great friend to have!
#3. Baby Ruth Candy Bar
This old-fashioned and irresistible candy bar first came out in 1921. The Baby Ruth Candy Bar is fully loaded with chocolate flavoured nougat, creamy caramel, and fresh peanuts, that is then covered in milk chocolate. This candy bar is often mistaken for being named after the famous baseball player, Babe Ruth when in fact the Baby Ruth Candy Bar was named after President Grover Cleveland's daughter, Ruth. The old-fashioned Baby Ruth Chocolate Bar gained some massive notoriety when in 1923, thousands of Baby Ruth Chocolate Bars fell out of the sky over Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. These chocolate bars were dropped out of an airplane, each attached to their very own mini parachute! They were also dropped that same year among various other States across the U.S.A. It almost sounds too good to be true, chocolate bars from the sky! The people of the 1920's sure knew how to advertise!
#4.Haribo Gold Bears
Haribo Gold Bears were the very first gummy bears that were ever made, making them the "original" gummi bear! The year was 1922, and Hans Riegel of Germany the founder of Haribo introduced us to these delicious gummi bears. The Haribo Gold Bears are not only perfectly chewy, they are bursting with impeccable, full fruity flavour! Haribo Gold Bears just beg to be eaten, coming in five juicy flavours, Pineapple, Strawberry, Lemon, Orange and Raspberry. Hans Riegel says he was inspired to make gummi bears because of his travels in Europe. He had seen dancing bears performing at festivals and somehow wanted to incorporate these cute bears into candy. Hans gave these bears candy life, and the sweetest gummi candy ever! From the roaring 20's to the fast pace of today, nothing beats the original, old-fashioned Haribo Gold Bears!
#5. Dubble Bubble Bubble Gum
This old-fashioned bubble gum has always hit the spot! Pink, chewy and luscious, nothing blows bubbles like the old-fashioned Dubble Bubble Bubble Gum! This nostalgic Bubble Gum came out in 1928. Invented By Walter Diemer, who was an employee of the Fleer Chewing Gum Company. Walter didn't work in the factory, but behind a desk as an accountant. Walter had a very interesting passion besides numbers, bubble gum! Walter had tried to make his own bubble gum concoction but never seemed to be successful at it. Frank Fleer, on the other hand, had made many prototypes of bubble gum over the years, and some were better than others. Walter Diemer decided one day to play around with one of Frank's 20-year-old, flopped, bubble gum recipes. Walter, the bubble gum fanatic, finally figured out the perfect recipe for Dubble Bubble, almost 20 years later! Within Dubble Bubbles first year on the market, it sold a whopping 1.5 million dollars worth of bubble gum! Dubble Bubble old fashioned Bubble Gum still comes with the Fleer Funnies inside the wrapper. Dubble Bubble is a sweet and aromatic chew on pure nostalgia!
#6. PEZ Candy
This novelty candy was the first of it's kind. A tablet like candy that comes in a convenient dispenser. PEZ Candy, although an old-fashioned candy, was also innovative for its time. PEZ was invented in 1927 by Edward Haas the third, of Austria. The original flavour of PEZ candy only came in Peppermint. The German word for peppermint is "pfefferminz" which is where the name PEZ originates from.
PEZ Candy was originally meant to be a form of smoking cessation, helping people to kick the habit. But with such a strong peppermint taste it was popular with adults only and not children. PEZ eventually added a selection of fruity tasting candy and fun PEZ dispensers. They dropped their racy ads of scantily dressed pin-up girls and began to gear their PEZ Candy advertisements towards children and their approving parents. PEZ Candy has only grown since it's conception, it's an extremely popular novelty candy for children and adult PEZ Candy dispenser collectors. PEZ Candy is pop culture, a candy and a toy. It's the stuff that we all ate and craved as children. PEZ is made in Connecticut and makes over 12 million tablets of PEZ candy to this day!
#7. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
It was 1928, and the world never knew that such sumptuous, deliciousness existed! Until the good old fashioned Reese's Peanut Butter Cups came to town! Cups made of decadent milk chocolate, filled to the brim with smooth and creamy peanut butter. Could a pair be any more perfect? Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were created by H.B Reese, who happened to be an employee of Milton Hershey. (the chocolate mogul) Reese was so inspired by the success of the Hershey's Company, he branched out on his own, with the backing and support of Milton Hershey. He left his job at Hershey's, and created one of the most popular old-fashioned, well-loved, treats around! H.B Reese used Hersheys Chocolate in his old-fashioned confections. He made many other treats but none were as successful as his Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. The Reese's Brand has greatly expanded over the years, with a huge collection of many enticing confections. Reeses' Peanut Butter Cups remain a number one seller across North America. One of the greatest old-fashioned candy inventions around!
#8. Sherbet Fountain
The Sherbet Fountain is a classic old-fashioned candy that came out in 1925. The packaging has changed since the 1920's but it's just as delicious as it ever was. The Sherbet Fountain Candy is a fizzy, lemon flavoured sherbet that is accompanied with a black licorice stick. The stick is meant to dip inside all that yummy sherbet confection! The packaging nowadays is much more hygienic, and actually enhances the fizziness of the Sherbet portion of the candy. The licorice stick is now tucked into the tube. The Sherbet Fountain remains the sweetest fountain around! Old fashioned and unique, it's a distinctive candy that is loved to this day!
#9. Crunchie Candy Bar
A crunchy and satisfying old-fashioned candy bar. The Crunchie Candy Bar is a piece of delightfully and airy, yet crunchy sponge toffee that is covered in milk chocolate. Every bite is filled with flavourful texture, the rich milk chocolate and sponge toffee flavours are very enhanced by each other. The Crunchie Candy Bar came out in 1929, in the UK and quickly spread it's "crunchy" and delicious flavour all over the world! The Crunchie Bar has not lost its appeal in the least bit. It may be old fashioned, but after one bite you know this candy bar is as exquisite tasting as ever! The wrapper is even golden to go along with it's golden honeycombed, toffee taste. I bet the folks of the 1920's were so glad there was no ban on chocolate!
#10. Charleston Chew Candy Bar
Smack dab in the middle of the 1920's, a brand new candy bar arrived on the scene. The Charleston Chew Candy Bar came out in 1925. This old-fashioned candy bar was named after a popular dance craze at the time called "The Charleston". The Charleston Chew Candy Bar is made of chewy and mouthwatering nougat on the inside, all wrapped with a coating of chocolate on the outside. A real celebration of the roaring 20's, the wrappers and flappers must have been flying across dancefloors everywhere! The Charleston Chew Candy Bars were originally made by the Fox-Cross Candy Company, but are now made by Tootsie Roll Industries.
Charleston Chew Candy Bars are available in a vanilla flavoured nougat, chocolate or strawberry. You might just break out in dance, perhaps learn to dance the Charleston! Yes, the old-fashioned Charleston Chew Candy Bar, it's that irresistibly delicious!
Some things never change
Amongst all those roaring and rebellious 1920's attitudes, fabulous flappers, and daring gangsters, came some memorable and remarkable tasting candy! We like to think the world has changed since the roaring 20's, but some things stay the same. Like our love and passion for good old-fashioned candy!
5 comments
I really never knew PEZ candy was this old!
These lists aren’t quite accurate in making the popular candies on the market in each era. I was there. I scoped it out almost daily… why? My little brother and I competed who who got the best options in their bag
I love old things , and I am buying candy from you guys .. old only
i have never heard of some of these candies!!! i would love to try some!!!!
i have never heard of some of these candies!!! i would love to try some!!!!