A Short Review of Unusual Candy

Nutter Butter (by Nabisco)
"Peanut Butter Sandwich COOKIES"

The exciting thing about these little chaps - apart from the name, natch - is that they're shaped like a peanut. A peanut that has, cartoon-style, being placed under a steam-roller, and emerged basically the same shape, but considerably flatter than before. They are, as their descriptor suggests, two layers of biscuit between which a peanut butter-filling has been inserted. The biscuit is on the powdery side of crunchy, and the peanut butter is typically claggy in the mouth. But these are tasty, cheerful little cookies, and commendably easy to eat.

Wonka Runts
"Artificially flavored CANDY"

One has to love a candy that is so proud of the fact that it's artificially flavoured that it's displayed prominently on the box. These little chaps also contain two new flavours - pineapple and mango - in addition to the "ordinary" strawberry, banana and orange. Amusingly, the candy is shaped like the fruit it tastes of - presumably in case you can't tell that yourself.


And let's be clear about this; your tastebuds are in for a rare experience. The moment one of these little chaps hit my tongue, I felt my mouth explode with horror at the aggressive sweetness and chemically-enhanced flavours. They are astonishing in their falseness, impressive.

Suffice to say that I did not manage to swallow any of them.

Butterfinger (by Nestle)
"Crispety Crunchety peanut-buttery"




The Americans do seem to enjoy their peanut butter candy, and this is apparently a giant of the genre. The milk chocolate hides brittle layers of peanutty flavour that crunch between the teeth. I think this one takes a little getting used to - as much as any peanut butter "candy" does for the British palate. But there's something compelling about it, the brittle textures and mildly buttery flavour.

Goobers (by Nestle)
"Nestle Milk Chocolate - Fresh Roasted Peanuts"

Peanuts in chocolate. I guess there's something tantalisingly simple about that, so much so that even the mighty Nestle can't come up with a tagline that does more than state what they are, rather than one of those funkety-rhymety little catchphrases employed by some of the other products reviewed here. But then, with a name like "Goobers", perhaps they need to describe what they are, because you really wouldn't guess.


And the point of this candy, despite the Poppets-style novelty of the cardboard box, is its simplicity. Peanuts. In chocolate. You really can't find fault with that.

Milk Duds (by Hershey's)
"Made with Chocolate and Caramel"

No need for fancy packaging or a funky marketing message for Hershey's. And why indeed with these great clumps of treacly caramel toffee in milk chocolate. Surprisingly hard to eat, they stick to the teeth and are satisfyingly chewy in the mouth. Not something to eat lots of in one session, though, as the old jaw quickly tires from the powerful chewing needed to devour them. Perhaps with sufficient training...

Nerds Rainbow of Flavors (by Wonka)
"Tiny, tangy, crunchy candy"

Another one from the Wonka label, Nerds look like the many-coloured gravel you used to see in the bottom of fish tanks. Much like the Runts, these are aggressively sweet - they taste like multi-coloured sugar - but make no claims about the flavour they may be.

I'm afraid I didn't manage to swallow any of these.