I have a new obsession in my life, and it is almost out of control this time of year.
Candy corn.
It wasn’t always this way. Much like broccoli and Justin Timberlake, I couldn’t stand it when I was younger. Nowadays, I can’t get enough. For the record, I also really dig broccoli – Tara steams hers in chicken broth, which gives it a really good flavor – and think Justin Timberlake is a funny dude who has become a likable, decent actor, as well. This just proves that our tastes can and do change over the years.
I still hate cauliflower, though.
I’m not sure why I ever disliked candy corn in the first place. Maybe I found it too sweet? Who knows. I love everything about it now – the taste, the color, the texture. Even the smell. Maybe part of it is the happy associations that accompany this sweet confection. Candy corn represents autumn, my favorite season. A crisp chill in the air, colorful changing leaves, frost on the pumpkin. The return of the rainy season. Warm and hearty stews, apple cider, a cozy blanket on the couch. And of course, Halloween. I’ve always been a big fan of the holiday, and not just because it gives me an excuse to buy a bag or two of miniature chocolates or watch The Shining. It’s just a fun holiday. Much more so than stuffy ol’ Christmas or ooh-let’s-dress-up-and-cook-a-fat-dead-bird Thanksgiving. Halloween allows you to channel your inner {kid/monster/freak/slut} and cut loose for a day. What’s not to love?
Plus, it turns out I’m trendy, because candy corn is apparently the “it” flavor of 2012. So much so that restaurants are dishing up groovy new concoctions like candy corn popcorn, candy corn bagels, and even – be still my liquor-craving heart – a candy corn martini. Oh, my. And yes, please.
So when a plastic tub full of candy corn appeared on a table in the office a couple of weeks ago, I was in heaven. Nothing helps to break up the drudgery of a busy afternoon slaving away at work than a handful of tasty, festive candy corn! This was a variety pack that included Indian corn, a variation that has a chocolate-flavored brown stripe across the bottom of the familiar tri-colored candy instead of the usual yellow. To me, that is blasphemy! And doesn’t taste nearly as good. Candy corn (designed to resemble kernels of corn, hence the name) should always have a white strip at the top, an orange band in the middle, and a yellow one across the bottom. Invented in the 1880s by George Renninger of the Wunderlee Candy Company, candy corn contains just a few simple ingredients: sugar, corn syrup, fondant (for texture), marshmallows (for softness), and wax (for burning, should the power go out). In order to capitalize on the holiday theme and make candy corn a year-round treat, different versions have been created: red, green and white (“reindeer corn” for Christmas); red, pink and white (“Cupid corn” for Valentine’s Day); and a variety of pastel bases with white tips (“bunny corn” for Easter). I’m sure they’re all well and good, but like Indian corn (created for Thanksgiving), can’t possibly stand up to the original. This also begs the question: why no “firecracker corn”?
Brach’s, would you care to address that oversight?
So, what are your thoughts on candy corn: delicious seasonal treat or eww, no thanks? Which holiday would you like to see represented? And how about Justin Timberlake – talented actor and musician or washed-up boy band singer?
Related articles
- – Makes Me Happy Monday: Candy Corn (waistingaway.wordpress.com)
- Taste Test: I Took a Candy Corn Oreo and Put It in My Mouth (jezebel.com)
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