The year was 1912. The Titanic was sinking, New Mexico was becoming the 47th state and Arizona was becoming the 48th. The Scoville Organoleptic Test was being developed (to rate the spicy heat of a pepper), and, ah, yes, the good ol’ Life Saver was being born.

Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, weighing approximately 2 grams, the Pep-O-Mint Life Saver was born thanks to the clever determination of his father, Clarence Crane, a chocolate maker who set out to create a sweet treat to beat the summer heat.

Life Savers became so popular that during WWII other candy manufacturers donated sugar rations to sustain production so they could be supplied to the Armed Forces.

In the 100 years since Life Savers were born, the candy has had more than 40 siblings, each uniquely flavored. These include Lic-O-Rice, Cin-O-Mon, Vi-O-Let, Choc-O-Mint, Molas-O-Mint, Lemon-Lime and Wint-O-Green.

Yes, it is true that Wint-O-Green Life Savers cause a spark in the dark—or, if you prefer the fancy scientific term: triboluminescence. Simply sit in a dark room, bring a friend or two, put a Wint-O-Green Life Saver in your mouth and bite. Your friend(s) will be impressed. To my surprise, many people under 30 have never heard of this whole spark in the dark thing. How bizarre!

Despite being kept in the dark regarding the spark, the under 30 demographic does seem awfully familiar with fruit-flavored Life Savers Holes that were born in 1990 or the Gummies, which are just two years younger.

Wrigley, the candy company who owns Life Saver, has launched a joyous website to celebrate this milestone birthday. And what does Life Saver, the man of the hour himself, want for his birthday? … He want you to purchase a 100th Anniversary Life Saver bag and enter the code on the birthday site so that you can donate $1 to a charity. I suppose it all circles back that charitable name of his – Life Saver.

And for those of you who want to reminisce, here’s an old commercial you may remember seeing.

What’s your favorite type of Life Saver? I prefer the Gummies Wild Berries. But I’m not one to ever turn down a spark in the dark, so I suppose I also favor the Wint-O-Green.

• Life Savers Website
• Birthday Press Release

Nintendo continues to cash in on its classic video game character, the Italian plumber – Mario!. This time they’ve come up with sour and non-sour gummy candies called Super Mario 3-Dees. I tried the sour version because I love sour candy! The gimmick here is the fact that the gummy candies are actually three dimensional figures, like gummi bears. They come in four flavors and four shapes. The flavors are: orange, watermelon, strawberry and mixed berry. The shapes are: Mario, Yoshi, Diddy Kong and Donkey Kong. The shapes do not denote the flavor as some candies do, but rather you could get say 3 Mario shapes in your bag but they can be all different flavors.

The candies are all brightly colored with pretty much standard colors denoting the flavors (ie: blue for the mixed berry, orange for orange, etc.) The texture is that of a pretty standard gummy and of course they have the nice sour coating on top that gives a little crunch if you bite into it right away. As for the flavors, they are pretty much standard fruit flavors, there is nothing really outstanding about them.

It’s pretty obvious that these Nintendo candies will appeal more to kids who just love Nintendo games or the Nintendo collectors out there. The Super Mario 3-Dees really have two things going for them: one is the fact that these are three dimensional candies, not flat like Sour Patch Kids, and two that they are Super Mario characters. Otherwise, they don’t stand out as any better than other similar candies on the market today. If you’re buying them for the flavors, I think you’ll be disappointed but if you love Nintendo stuff or have kids that love Mario, these are great!

• 3-Dees Website
• Buy Nintendo Candy Online
• Huge list of Nintendo candy

I’m just going to come out and say it, Gimbal’s Sour Lovers Mix is the absolute BEST sour candy I have ever had! I’ve never had any Gimbal’s candy before and honestly I had never heard of them before I got this bag of goodness. I sure do know about Gimbal’s Candy now! They are so good that I let my husband have a few and from his reaction, I had to hide the bag in order to have enough for me to write this review. It was tough.

These sour gummy candies are shaped like hearts and come in 12 flavors: Meyer Lemon, Grapefruit, Pomegranate, Fuji Apple, Watermelon, Tangerine, Margarita, Blueberry, Mango, Strawberry Daiquiri, Mango, Bing cherry and Georgia Peach.

The best thing about these is not only the flavors (which are phenomenal), but the fact that they aren’t just sour on the outside; they are also sour on the inside. I noticed this when I sucked off the outer sour coating and figured out that the gummy in my mouth was still sour. It was confirmed when I visited the Gimbal’s website. They actually put the sour making ingredients into the gummy mixture and then coat the gummies in the sour mixture too.

The gummy is that good, tooth-sticking kind of gummy that makes the flavors linger for so long. You get such a good long chew with these and in combination with the incredible flavors and the double sour whammy… these are a phenomenal candy that is not to be missed. I hereby award them the coveted Candy Addict Awesomely Addictive Candy Award!

• Gimbal’s Candy Website
• Buy Gimbal’s Sour Candy Online

Candy Addict received this product as a sample from the manufacturer. No payment was received for this review and all opinions represent an unbiased view of the product.

I like a good sour candy and all the weirdness that accompanies eating it…. the lip-puckering, the eye-watering, the body-twitching. Now’s your chance to share your involuntary, sour candy-eating reflexes with the world!

Sour Punch candy announced a contest called “How Far Would You Go?” The winner of the contest gets 5000 big ones, and there are some weekly prizes too. Get all the details on the Sour Punch Facebook page.

“We designed this contest … to give our fans the opportunity to show us what great lengths they’re willing to go to for their favorite sour candy,” explained Kristi Shafer, Brand Manager of Sour Confections for American Licorice Company. “We have been blown away with the creative submissions that Sour Punch® fans have submitted in our past video contests and can’t wait to see what they’ll come up with this year.”

So, Candy Addicts, let’s give Ms. Shafer her money’s worth! Get your cameras and record yourself shoving your piehole full of those sour straws, or doing the Lady and the Tramp with your sweetheart, or the cherry stem-in-a-knot trick with one, or… wait! That’s a good one! I’m outta here to record it!

Meanwhile, leave your big idea in the comments or link to your video after it’s uploaded. Contest ends July 10th, 2011

• Press Release announcing contest
• Sour Punch Facebook page.
• Sour Punch website
• Buy Sour Punch candy online

I grew up in a family where farts always came out on top in the laughter department. My brother was the King of it in our house. Very soon, I can buy him his own bag of edible Farts™. That’s right, Leaf Brands (the candy company that brought us Astro Pops®, Jolly Ranchers ®, Whoppers ®and Milk Duds®) are coming out with a new chewy fruity candy that they have named Farts™.

Have no fear, for they shall not be like normal farts! These new candy Farts™ will be fruity, chewy, colorful and will have a bumpy candy coating. Farts™ will come in over 126 flavors that according to Leaf Brand, LLC, they will “pick the flavors based on customers’ votes on Facebook and other social media platforms.”

It’s a great name, I mean who doesn’t laugh or at least crack a smile at a Fart™? I know I’ll be buying some and of course, sending a few bags to my brother.

• Leaf Brands Website

I find that any Dollar Tree store is a plethora of unknown candies that I never find in the big box stores. I just love the variety of candies they offer. So, when shopping there recently, my youngest son, who is CRAZY into sharks right now, says “MAMA!!!! Look, shark candy!! Please!!” How could I say no? Especially when it’s only $1? You can tell I said yes by the fact that they are now on my kitchen counter in the photo.

The tub is packed to the top with the gummy sharks, so right off the bat I’ve gotten my money’s worth. They come in three flavors/colors: yellow, which tastes like lemon; red, which resembles a cherry flavor; and blue, which tastes like blue raspberry. Now, for the diehard sour Candy Addict, these are going to be disappointing. They are just a little bit sour. Me, I like my sour. If it doesn’t get me to make my Popeye face, it’s not sour enough (yes, when eating anything extremely sour, my face scrunches up and my right eye closes involuntarily, giving me a Popeye-like appearance). However, for those who prefer to dabble in the slightly sour, then these are for you.

They have a nice gummy texture, not too chewy and not too soft and they have a good sugary coating on top and a white layer on the bottom. Each piece measures a little under 2 inches long. Flavor-wise, they don’t provide any “flavor explosion” or anything, just nice subtle hints of each flavor. The packaging touts that they are “bursting with natural fruit juice”, but that juice is apple and is the 4th ingredient in the list. Not exactly “bursting” when you bite into one, but it doesn’t take anything away from the flavor of the gummy.

All in all, if you’ve got a dollar to spend and just want something decently fruity, then these are a good choice. If you’re looking for seriously sour gummies, then these are not the candy for you. I personally don’t think these are the greatest sour gummies out there but if I’m in the mood for something fruity and I’ve got $1 to blow, I’d buy these again.

• Yupi Gummy Candy Website
• Buy Gummi Sharks online

I’m not really a huge fan of fruity sweets and when I think of candy, I think of chocolate. So, after I devoured and finished up the review of Wonka Exceptionals chocolate bars, I turned to the Fruit Marvels and Fruit Jellies. I can definitely say they are unlike anything else I’ve ever eaten.

I’m not quite sure what to do with the Fruit Marvels. They’re round and kinda hard, somewhat like Gobstoppers so I wasn’t sure if I should chew it immediately or suck on it a bit. I popped one in my mouth and tried to chew it but it seemed a bit too hard to bite into it. With a little persistence, I cracked into it and found a chewy, gummy, fruity center. I tested the Pomegranate, White Grape, and Clementine Orange varieties and they all have accurate flavoring and taste just like the fruits they represent. My problem with these little hard candies is that I don’t know if I should suck on them or chew them, or both?! If you chew it shortly after sucking off the dusting of sugar on the outside, it seems like a premature ending. In the beginning, it’s a little too hard to be pleasant chewing them and I feel cheated somehow because the fruitiness of the center is not fully experienced. They are much better if you suck on them for a few minutes and then chomp down for a much tastier experience. Try doing both and you’ll see what I mean.

For the Fruit Jellies, I had the Goji Berry and Red Apple flavors and they are super fruity and flavorful. The Red Apple Jellies taste like apples and the snozberries taste like snozberries! (Ok, not really, I just was seeing if you were paying attention and throw in a little homage to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.) I’m not quite sure I’ve had goji berries before so I can’t say if they taste like the goji berry or not, but if the other flavors are any indication, then I’d bet they taste the same.

As I mentioned, I’m not a huge fan of fruity candy and have to really be in the mood for them. I’ve not really been in the mood for fruity lately so I enlisted a fruity-candy-lover, Brooke, to get some feedback on the Fruit Marvels and Fruit Jellies. She was a big fan of the Jellies and she emphasized (repeatedly) that the Red Apple Jellies taste like they are made from real red apples and not some fake apple flavoring. She loved the square shape and how the sugar stayed on the outside of the jellies so she wasn’t covered in sugar dust. She appreciated the firm chewiness instead of the usual wet sticky mess typical with most gummies. Gummy consistency and texture sounded like an important factor so I thought I should mention it.

Overall, she said they were some of the best gummies she’s ever tasted. She was rather lackluster about the Fruit Marvels and didn’t like the texture of them. For the review, she refused to eat more than necessary of the Fruit Marvels, which is fine with me, because I liked them better than the Fruit Jellies she loved so much. No fighting over the Marvels and Jellies, so that’s convenient.

All in all, they aren’t bad for fruity candy and I totally agree with Nestle – Wonka Exceptionals are really quite that – exceptional!

• Wonka Exceptionals
• Buy Wonka candy online

Candy Addict received this product as a sample from the manufacturer. No payment was received for this review and all opinions represent an unbiased view of the product.

I’m not really a huge fan of fruity sweets and when I think of candy, I think of chocolate. So, after I devoured and finished up the review of Wonka Exceptionals chocolate bars, I turned to the Fruit Marvels and Fruit Jellies. I can definitely say they are unlike anything else I’ve ever eaten.

I’m not quite sure what to do with the Fruit Marvels. They’re round and kinda hard, somewhat like Gobstoppers so I wasn’t sure if I should chew it immediately or suck on it a bit. I popped one in my mouth and tried to chew it but it seemed a bit too hard to bite into it. With a little persistence, I cracked into it and found a chewy, gummy, fruity center. I tested the Pomegranate, White Grape, and Clementine Orange varieties and they all have accurate flavoring and taste just like the fruits they represent. My problem with these little hard candies is that I don’t know if I should suck on them or chew them, or both?! If you chew it shortly after sucking off the dusting of sugar on the outside, it seems like a premature ending. In the beginning, it’s a little too hard to be pleasant chewing them and I feel cheated somehow because the fruitiness of the center is not fully experienced. They are much better if you suck on them for a few minutes and then chomp down for a much tastier experience. Try doing both and you’ll see what I mean.

For the Fruit Jellies, I had the Goji Berry and Red Apple flavors and they are super fruity and flavorful. The Red Apple Jellies taste like apples and the snozberries taste like snozberries! (Ok, not really, I just was seeing if you were paying attention and throw in a little homage to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.) I’m not quite sure I’ve had goji berries before so I can’t say if they taste like the goji berry or not, but if the other flavors are any indication, then I’d bet they taste the same.

As I mentioned, I’m not a huge fan of fruity candy and have to really be in the mood for them. I’ve not really been in the mood for fruity lately so I enlisted a fruity-candy-lover, Brooke, to get some feedback on the Fruit Marvels and Fruit Jellies. She was a big fan of the Jellies and she emphasized (repeatedly) that the Red Apple Jellies taste like they are made from real red apples and not some fake apple flavoring. She loved the square shape and how the sugar stayed on the outside of the jellies so she wasn’t covered in sugar dust. She appreciated the firm chewiness instead of the usual wet sticky mess typical with most gummies. Gummy consistency and texture sounded like an important factor so I thought I should mention it. Overall, she said they were some of the best gummies she’s ever tasted. She was rather lackluster about the Fruit Marvels and didn’t like the texture of them. For the review, she refused to eat more than necessary of the Fruit Marvels, which is fine with me, because I liked them better than the Fruit Jellies she loved so much. No fighting over the Marvels and Jellies, so that’s convenient.

All in all, they aren’t bad for fruity candy and I totally agree with Nestle- Wonka Exceptionals are really quite that- exceptional. I give the Fruit Marvels 3 Bonbons! The Fruit Jellies are awarded 5 BrookeBrookes!

• Wonka Exceptionals

Candy Addict received this product as a sample from the manufacturer. No payment was received for this review and all opinions represent an unbiased view of the product.

I’m not a stranger to “healthy” candy, nor are my views on it anything but direct: there really isn’t such a thing. So if you’re looking for a candy that’s going to be something I recommend you add to your diet, you can stop reading now.

That said, I do believe there is a difference between candy and candy that is better for you. And with childhood obesity on the rise, more and more parents are looking for these sorts of confectionery avenues. Kids are always going to want to eat sweets, so you might as well buy them the ones that are not as hard on their bodies.

Recently, I have reviewed products from companies that share this vision for candy, namely from Surf Sweets and BrightSpot, so it’s not all that surprising to hear of more and more companies adopting this mantra. The latest comes from Yummy Earth, who proudly boast a tagline that their candy is “The best stuff on earth.” Hmm… Snapple anyone?

The idea for this company is steeped in genuine love of both candy and children; the founders are two fathers who teamed up develop a candy for their children that didn’t rely on all the additives, preservatives, etc. that are common in most American candy.

There are certain traits each of their products share, including all being certified USDA organic (the first of its kind for gummy bears or gummy worms), manufactured without corn syrup, and stamped with a variety of allergen-free ingredients. Note that the Parve (a specific designation of Kosher) certification displayed on their website applies only to their hard candy, as the gummies contain gelatin (presumably an un-Kosher gelatin), which is also why the hard candy is certified vegan and the gummies aren’t, so you’d do best check the specifics on each bag for the slight variances.

Organic Candy Drops: All these pieces were shaped at about a half-inch diameter. The bag I received came in fourish flavors, which all remind me of hard candy sticks in terms of flavor and smooth surface.

Wet-Face Watermelon: is the pink piece. It bears a refined watermelon taste with a slight burst of tartness. It’s not really watermelon, and as someone who dislikes watermelon in candy, I enjoyed that.

Mango Tango: this piece is half-orange, half-yellow. The citrus here is zestful, but more indicative of lime, lemon, and orange than mango. I am not sure what flavor is doing the tango with the mango, but it’s very confusing in a delicious and flavorful way. Not really mango, but tasty.

Cheeky Lemon: this piece is the full yellow drop. The lemon flavor is more tart than zestful, but in an understated manner that lets you appreciate the charm of a lemon. I don’t really notice the cherry notes hidden under the potency of the lemon flavor.

Pomegranate Pucker: is the deep-purple piece. I have to say I enjoyed the other flavors, but wasn’t bowled away until this one. Wow! The pomegranate juice notes are strong with an alcohol base flavor profile that is robust, complex, and deep like a woodsy wine. Notes of black currant and grape juice reveal themselves, and I am reminded of the black currant piece in Rowntree’s Fruit Pastilles, a product I lauded to no end. Of all the things the kind folks at Yummy Earth sent me, this was the best.

Organic Lollipops: come in eight different flavors, including three of the flavors found in the candy drops. Each lollipop is about an inch in diameter and labels its flavor on the wrapper (the candy drops did not do this, hence why I mentioned their colors).

In terms of the repeating flavors (Wet-Face Watermelon, Mango Tango, and Pomegranate Pucker), each resembles the flavor and smooth consistency found in the candy drops, except the pomegranate is not as bold here.

Strawberry Smash: like the watermelon, this is comprised of a muted strawberry flavor, relying on the taste of strawberry in an altered state, such as a jam or fruit leather. It too reminds me of the strawberry piece in Rowntree’s Wine Gums. This piece refrains from being to sweet and lets the flavor speak instead of sugar. Very delicious.

Sour Apple Tart: I believe this piece is more tart than it is sour, the way a Granny Smith apple isn’t really sour. The apple flavor is reminiscent of freshly squeezed juice and is spot on for what it is trying to convey to your taste buds.

Very Very Cherry: there are so many types of cherry flavors, and this one is more along the lines of a cherry juice or the tart quality found in sour cherry pie. Those who are fans of that sort of cherry will enjoy this.

Googly Grape: I’d wager that this is the most traditional of the flavors. The taste is approximately that of grape juice, but not nearly as sweet. It’s mild like a grape popsicle, but genuine in it’s flavor presentation.

Tooberry Blueberry: blueberry is a hard flavor to reproduce in a candy, and these guys do pretty well here for the most part. Like their other flavors, it tastes more like the fruit juice than the fruit itself. I am not quite sure what the white flavor swirling the blueberry is (cream perhaps?), but I would prefer this lollipop without it.

Gummy Worms: For those of you accustomed to eating gummy worms, please not that these are about half the size of a traditional worm. I would also say they look a little more snake-like than worm. Regardless of size or shape, they are highly fragrant and provide a 100% daily dose of vitamin C.

Sour Apple Tart: in gummy form, the sharpness of the apple flavor in the lollipop is muted—but this is a great thing. The taste is pure apple and works well with the firm, but easy to chew texture of the gummy. Best of the three flavors.

Pomegranate Pucker: oddly enough, this version of the pomegranate flavor differed from that of the candy drop and lollipop.

Tangy Tangerine: tangerine isn’t a popular gummy flavor, but I’m not sure why, since it works well here. The citrus component is far from subtle and has a great tangerine zest, but it does seem more like orange than tangerine.

Gummy Bears: these are akin to Haribo gummy bears in shape, but not as defined. Like the gummy worms, they too boast a 100% daily dose of vitamin C. I also noticed the gummy chew was a bit firmer in these, which is a nice contrast from your typical flabby gummy.

Sour Apple Tart: the gummy quality is definitely playing a role in reducing the same flavors that are in the hard candy. Even more so than the worms, these lost that tartness in the lollipops. I think the reduced intensity worked well in former example, but here it’s just too subtle.

Pomegranate Pucker: not really a surprise, but the pomegranate flavor here is completely different than any of its other manifestations reviewed so far. Had I not known these were pomegranate, I’d probably guess grape.

Strawberry Smash: this bear in particular stood out. More so than the others, the chew factor played out well. The strawberry flavor mirrors that of the green bear in the Haribo variety (yes, green is strawberry in Haribo land), but does so in a much more flavorful and natural way. Best in this bag.

Aside from offering a great array of flavors in some better-for-you ways, one thing I really enjoyed about these guys was that the hard candies came in resealable bags; not sure why the gummies didn’t as they would need it more, I would think.

For those of you who, like me, enjoy certain flavors more than others, you can purchase the majority of these in individual flavor bags, as opposed to the mixed variety I sampled.

All in all, I think these are actually tasty. I don’t say that in that “healthy candy” tasty way, but tasty for any type of candy. Certain pieces here are just spectacular, and I would easily purchase those on their own. In a testament to how good they are, I actually handed them out for Halloween and received a variety of compliments from my neighbors; in the better-for-you candy world, your toughest critics are kids, and Yummy Earth easily made them smile.

• Yummy Earth Website

Candy Addict received this product as a sample from the manufacturer. No payment was received for this review and all opinions represent an unbiased view of the product.

It’s almost time for Halloween again and that means yummy treats for everyone.

The folks at the National Confectioners’ Association were kind enough to send me some treats to try, so I’m sharing them with you. I figured we’d start with the healthier treats, in case any of you want to add something healthy to your Halloween splurge.

First up,the bag of Florida Natural Au’Some Fruit Healthy Treats, which contain a mix of sour strings, nuggets, and stiks. I actually enjoy them all. All three styles come in orange, strawberry, and grape flavors and I like the strawberry the best. Since I love sour stuff, I particularly enjoy the sour strings, although I should warn you that they aren’t terribly sour. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the stiks – they are really tangy and nicely chewy without sticking to your teeth. The nuggets are fun, too, but I thought the orange flavor, in particular, could have a wee bit of vitamin taste to it.

Given that the nuggets and strings are only 50 calories a pack, and the sticks are only 35, these are a guilt-free treat, surprisingly tasty and satisfying. As a bonus, each candy has vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals, so these actually have a health benefit! Since these come in nifty little packets, you can hand them out to your Trick-or-Treaters, or take ‘em to work yourself.

While I was delving into the fruity, chewy goodness, I decided to try Welch’s Island Flavor Fruit Snacks. One serving boasts 100% of your vitamin C DV, and 25% of your A and E. And, at 130 calories per serving, this definitely qualifies for my “healthier Halloween” motif. I’m sorry to say I didn’t enjoy these nearly as much as the Au’some Fruit treats. The flavors were much more bland and had a weird, waxy taste to them. And the texture was odd: not very chewy and kind of powdery. Plus, my sample came in a bag that was too big to share with Trick-or-Treaters, although you could just eat ‘em yourself. If you’re into tropical punch flavors, maybe you’ll dig this, but it wasn’t really my thing.

Last on the list, Candy Coated Sunny Seed Drops by the Sunflower Food & Spice Co, Ltd. Back in June, Nico reviewed the regular Sunny Seed Drops Chocolate Sunflower Seeds, but mine came in Halloween colors with a Halloween-themed tube. Same flavor, but seasonal packaging. How do these stand up to other Halloween treats? Well, I love chocolate and I love sunflower seeds so these made me do the happy dance. The only bad thing I can say about these is that I had a hard time not eating the entire tube. The brightly colored candy shells are incredibly inviting, just begging you to have another handful. These are a little like sunflower M&Ms. I will say the chocolate is quite sweet, but somehow it works with the sunflower seeds. Oh yum! How did I go my whole life so far without having these?

According to the package, sunflower seeds are an excellent source of a number of vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber – healthy! There are 130 calories per serving – if you can manage to stop at the serving size, which is 2 tablespoons. Since this came in a good-sized tube, I’m not sure if you’d want to get enough tubes to share with Trick-or-Treaters or not. But I sure do recommend treating yourself because these rocked.

Overall, if you’re looking for a healthier Halloween but don’t want to make your Trick-or-Treaters or yourself feel deprived, I recommend you try either the Au’some Fruits or the Sunny Seed Drops. Yum!

• Au’some Treats Website
• Welch’s Website
• Sunflower Food & Spice Company’s Website