SNAPS are a retro candy that I didn’t know about until just a week or two ago. I was in Michael’s Arts and Crafts store and noticed it on the “retro” candy rack alongside Sugar Babies and Necco Slapsticks. “Oooooooo, what’s this?” I thought to myself as I picked up the package.
It was definitely a retro candy with it’s bold and simple graphic design which consists of colorful illustrated representations of the candy inside spotting the bright red background. “Classic Chewy Candy” reads the tag line, but that doesn’t tell me what exactly SNAPS are. Turning the package over I finally find out what SNAPS are made of, literally. Ah, so it’s a black licorice with a candy coating!
So how did I enjoy my first taste of SNAPS? I didn’t. The snaps themselves come in 4 colors: white, green, pink and orange red. The sizes are not uniform at all, some are tiny and others rather long. What first surprised me was that they’re hollow. I was expecting a roll of licorice with a coating like Bassett’s Allsorts, and I was sorely mistaken. The second thing is how STRANGE they taste. I’m a black licorice lover and these didn’t taste of licorice at all, especially the pink ones which tastes like soap. Yuck.
So are there any SNAPS lovers out there? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this candy. Taking everything into consideration, it makes me wonder how this one has survived since its birth in the 1930s.
Buy SNAPS online:
- at Candy Crate
- at Amazon.com
- at Old Time Candy
- in bulk at Candy Direct
MMM, Snaps! Eat more and you’ll soon understand. I didn’t care for these chewies at first either and now, I can’t keep my fingers out of the candy bowl.
May 10th, 2007 at 6:27 pmI love these. Have ever since I was a kid. Recently found them again on Amazon after not having any for more than 15 years. I think I’m a fan of the texture more than the taste since I hate all other black licorice. I brought some in to work and most people’s first response was “eeeww”. Then they all reached for more.
May 15th, 2007 at 11:58 amSnaps are great! I just finished off a bag which I purchased on a recent trip to Santa Fe. I remember the good old days when bags of Snaps were 3/$1. They are yummy; may be retro; and, what’s so bad about eating soap?
June 8th, 2007 at 9:39 pmI love SNAPS so much! My mom used to buy them for me as a kid in the 70′s and I still feel like a kid when I eat them!I agree that the pink have a soapy taste but that is all a part of the memory! They are great!
June 18th, 2007 at 3:50 amI love Snaps. It’s been forever since I’ve seen them, but I used to eat them all of the time when I was younger. I love how they can be molded in your mouth. A fun feeling! But, if you want to taste a licorice candy that REALLY tastes like soap, try Sen-Sen.
June 28th, 2007 at 11:43 pmI love snaps! I grew up with them (60′s), my mom used to buy them for as a treat and still remember the box they came in. My sister and I would seek out the pink ones first they were the fav’s!
October 17th, 2007 at 1:54 pmLicorce snaps!!! If I could only choose one candy to eat for the rest of my life, it would be Licorice Snaps. My fave color is the tan ones. I love black licorice – Panda from Finland is a real fave. You can buy these at Walgreen’s drugstore, as that’s where I found them after American Licorice added them back to their product line after they had discontinued them. I guess there were so many of us fans that they decided to bring them back. Sorry you didn’t like them candy addict!!
October 24th, 2007 at 11:12 pmoooooh!!! I LOVE Snaps!! And always have. Especially the pink “soapy” ones. They were not available a few years ago, but I’m glad they’re back. I plan to order some from target as I can’t find any here in the south. Sorry to hear you didn’t care for them. Maybe it’s a “Boomer” thing!
November 16th, 2007 at 3:02 ami love Snaps, and i’m also a fan of the pink “soapy” ones, but i’ve been noticing an inconsistency in the flavor lately. In some of the boxes i’ve bought, the pink ones are a brighter pink color, and have none of the characteristic “soapy” flavor. am i the only one who’s noticed? i’ve actually done A/B comparisons! Apparently the company is starting to compromise the flavor for greater mass appeal. If so, they can no longer claim to be the “original” Snaps.
July 8th, 2008 at 1:43 amOK, I’m with you – I love good and plenty so I thought I would try Snaps – It left that taste in my mouth that you get the morning after being sick. Not sure what flavor they are going for. Back to the good and plenty box for me.
July 27th, 2008 at 1:11 amWhen I was a kid Snaps were 2cents a box. They were and still are my favorite candy. I’m absolutely thrilled that they’re back on the market. The first time I saw them at Target they were 1.49. They had just put them out. There were ten bags….I bought them all! Pink is my favorite. I eat all the other colors first and save the best for last. I’m sorry you didn’t like them. You’re probably just to young to appreciate the good things in life!(just kidding).
August 25th, 2008 at 12:06 amI’m with you. This is a very strange tasting “licorice” candy. I love almost any type of black licorice candy.
My beloved girlfriend sent me a box of SNAPS in a recent gift package. I wanted to like them (I love her). I really tried. I chewed. I swallowed. I tried more. I just couldn’t do it.
I love you Heidi but this is the nastiest candy I’ve tried in a while.
October 14th, 2008 at 5:06 pmAre you serious? I love those things! They grow on you, you know.
November 21st, 2008 at 12:26 amPeople either hate thes things or love them. They are one of my favorite candies…especially the soapy-tasting pink ones. I can remember spending 2 cents for a box from the local candy store when I was a kid in Chicago in the 1950s. I can’t get them in Canada, where I now live, but I occasionally order them from the U.S. (at considerably greater expense). I really enjoy these things, so it’s worth the price to me. I try to ration these (a few a day) but it’s hard for me to do.
January 13th, 2009 at 3:34 amI really enjoy them. It’s not a nostalgia thing for me. I just tried them for the first time today. To me, they have a very genuine taste. I notice from the ingredients that it’s because it uses at least some of the traditional, real flavors.. wheat flour, molasses, licorice granules. And then on top of that, the candy coatings lend a wonderful complex, perfumey overtone (especially the pink ones). This is quality candy for grown ups.
February 5th, 2009 at 4:39 pmAck. I got a huge assortment of black licorice candies for my birthday, and I’ve been eating a few from a couple of new bags every day or so. Our household does not like the licorice snaps. I first tasted them with my kids, and when my wife got home we tricked her into eating some. We cackled about that. I just now tricked her into eating some of the pink ones (which to me taste like incense rather than soap–mind you, I’ve not eaten either)and she grimaced balefully at me and spat it in the trashcan.
March 23rd, 2009 at 8:23 pmI feel like the odd man out. I like the green, pink, and white ones, a lot, but I have a hard time with the orange ones.
February 25th, 2010 at 4:41 amSNAPS are very addicting to me! Once I open a bag, I can’t help but finish it that day!! I think the chewy texture is half the enjoyment and this is very good exercise for the jaw..lol! And, they are mildly licorice flavored with a sweet coating. My favorites are the green and orange colored. The pink is the strongest flavor and the color will not come off of your teeth unless brushing them several times! I wish they made them in only the flavor/colors you like! Yummy candy!!
February 24th, 2012 at 11:17 amI have loved Snaps since I was a kid in the 70′s. Now I keep a supply in hand. I’ve often wondered if these things are addictive. I can’t stop!
May 25th, 2012 at 3:52 pm