PEZ is sorta like the razor blades of the candy world – Mr Gillette gave the razors away as long as you bought the blades, and it’s kind of like that with PEZ, too. It’s really more about the dispenser than it is about the candy, isn’t it? The official PEZ website is almost entirely dedicated to the dispersers, with the candy very nearly an afterthought.

Until now I’ve found most of the PEZ flavors to be pretty okay – nothing to jump up and down about (and definitely not with a razor in your hand). This year’s contribution to the PEZ flavor roundup is… drum roll… chocolate! Chocolate is not normally a flavor I would associate with chalk-type candies, although it can work fairly well in boiled or hard candies. When I first opened the sample packet, I was surprised to find it had quite a nice smell – while not overwhelmingly chocolaty, it was nicely sweet without being sickening. The color is a very pale brown with darker brown speckles in it, not surprising given that most PEZ colors are fairly muted.

I really liked these, actually. The taste reminds me very much of Nestle Quick – my brain registers a very slight cinnamon-y edge to these as well, even though I can’t say for sure if there is any cinnamon in the ingredients. It might be the chalky texture which reminds me of the drink mix – it’s what I imagine it would be if it were compressed into a tablet.

All in all, I think the chocolate isn’t going to satisfy the hardcore chocoholic, but it makes a nice change from the other options (cola, various fruit flavors, and Sourz) currently available.

• The Official Pez Website

Buy Pez Online:

• at Candy Crate
• at Candy Direct
• at Old Time Candy
• at Amazon.com

I’ve mentioned before my ongoing search to find cool ways to incorporate my love of candy into my home decor. We’ve found gummi bear lights, candy-themed furniture, candy-inspired pillows, and even chocolate coasters. Now all I need is a print of Count Dracula eating PEZ!

Granted, it’s not Halloween, but seriously, what’s wrong with keeping the spirit of eating candy alive every day on my wall? Especially when it’s the Count in all his PEZ-eating glory. He must be Count Chocula’s brother, since his tastes run on the sweet side. A terribly clever image both in subject matter and artistic execution. I’m sure you’re all screaming “I want it!” along with me.

• Artbytyler’s “How would you eat a Pez” Etsy webpage

Gone are the days when a t-shirt or other non-edible item with a candy logo was a rare find. I can walk through almost any major store now and find something with a candy theme – scarves, pillows, even dog treats. Is it licensing overkill, or just good fun? I’m still on the fence, but I have to admit, I was thrilled to find the new over-sized PEZ dog treat dispensers (made by Pet-Riffic) at Walgreens.

I wasn’t happy just because one of the varieties is a Smiling Beagle, and I have a beagle. I was thrilled because the product actually mimics a real PEZ dispenser. So, I guess for me, when the non-candy item is reasonably representative of the original, I’m fine with it. The price on the Walgreens display as well as the price on the box said $9.99, but when it was rung up at the register, the total before tax was only $5.99, and the receipt said “SALE” next to “PEZ for Pets.”

I was pleasantly surprised, and briefly entertained by the idea of buying another dispenser as a collector’s item, until I realized I’d spent a good portion of my weekend building an outdoor shed because my living quarters are too full of stuff already. For you collectors out there though, each dispenser goes for $20 at the PEZ Collector’s Store.

The dog treat PEZ dispenser works just like the candy version, and in addition to the Smiling Beagle, comes in the Toothy St. Bernard style. You load the stem with the included dog treats, slide the contraption back together, and pull up on the dog’s head to dispense the goodies.

As for the quality of the included snacks, I didn’t taste them, but canine taste-testers Jessie and Otis seemed to love them. The snacks smelled rancid and are made of yucky ingredients (corn starch, rice starch, sorbitol, maltose, and artificial flavors), but the dogs devoured them. The treats did have to be removed from the dispenser and fed by hand, but the dogs didn’t seem to mind.

There are only six bone-shaped dog treats in each package. I found some refills for the dispenser on eBay, but, I’d rather not give my pups more of those nasty-smelling snacks. Novelty is fun, but I think I’d prefer to give the guys something that at least has real meat in the ingredients. I don’t need any more Candy Addicts competing with me in the house!

PEZ, dogs, pets, collectible

Quick – when you were a kid, what was your favorite Austrian candy? Few kids – or adults for that matter – know the true origins of one of their most beloved sweets. Here’s a hint: you probably found this candy under Davy Crockett’s head. Or Wonder Woman’s. Or Chewbacca’s.

That’s right, Candy Addicts, I’m speaking of everyone’s favorite little blocks of sugary goodness, PEZ! Are you all as shocked as I was to discover that PEZ comes from the land of coffee and Schwarzenegger? Well, believe it: PEZ is Austrian. In fact, the name PEZ is an abbreviation of the German word for peppermint: PfeffErminZ. Say that five times fast!

Why peppermint? Well, it seems that was the very first flavor of PEZ. At first, that classic pop-up dispenser was simply a long, skinny rectangle, designed to be similar to a cigarette lighter. Minty PEZ was marketed to help smokers quit. Over time, the flavors changed to the classic “mixed fruit” (that’s lemon, strawberry, grape, and orange). In the 50’s, some genius decided to put characters’ heads on the PEZ dispensers (Mickey and Santa were among the first), and the rest, as they say, is history.

To me, the popularity of PEZ comes entirely from the novelty of flipping back a character’s head to dispense that little candy. Face it – could PEZ possibly have made its way so deeply into the hearts of American kids if it just came in a boring old box? I think not.

One thing’s for certain: if you ever want to start a conversation with anyone, any age, just ask them about their first PEZ dispenser. You’ll get a nostalgic smile and an interesting story, I guarantee. You can even stump them with a trivia question about the origin of that catchy little name: PEZ!

• PEZ Website
• PEZ on CandyAddict

Buy PEZ online:

• at Candy Crate
• at Candy Direct
• at Old Time Candy
• at Amazon.com

PEZ, history, trivia, peppermint

PEZ just made your life a whole lot easier, whether you know it or not. Aside from the sweet taste, convenient portability, familiar faces and collectability, PEZ fans have taken a bold step forward to help you take better photos.

Say what?

The clever folks over at Photo.net have created a way to affix an extra PEZ dispenser onto your camera to get that perfect smile out of both kids and adults. What kid wouldn’t want to stare at such an awe-inspiring icon of candy? Just think; no more frowning, grimacing and wandering-eyed photos!

The instructions are well written and look pretty easy to follow. So, if you find yourself with some free time and surplus PEZ dispensers, be sure to let us know how the project and the resulting photos turn out. Say Chee… er, I mean, Candy!

• PEZ hot-shoe camera attachment tutorial

PEZ, photography, DIY

Recently announced is the Elvis box set from PEZ. Including three, count ‘em THREE, different Elvis (Elvi? Elvises?), there’s Young Elvis, Military Elvis and Vegas Elvis. Also included is a three song CD of Elvis songs.

While not officially released until June 25th, according to a person I spoke with at PEZ, the limited edition sets are already starting to pop up on eBay and other online retailers. They also stated that at least 1 “Big Box” retailer would be carrying the item, and while he declined to state which one, my guess would be Wal-Mart, but don’t take my word for it. Based on the prices I’ve seen online, I’m guessing this will retail for around $15-$20.

Another interesting tidbit about this set, is it is one of the few rare times that PEZ has made a dispenser based on a real person. Years ago, they made a Betsy Ross, a Daniel Boone, and a Paul Revere figure. Just last year they made a 3-piece set out of the gang at Orange County Choppers (the first time ever that they have ever made PEZ of a living person), and the 3 Elvis PEZ brings the grand total to 9 PEZ modeled after real people. Maybe this is a sign of more “real people” dispensers to come, and there’s nothing wrong with that in my book.

For those regular Candy Addict readers, you’ll note that this is the second Elvis related candy I’ve written about, the first being the Banane Creme Elvis Cup which is scheduled for release in July. Elvis fans, keep your eyes peeled!

Editor’s note: Another Elvis candy we have mentioned: Elvis Mints.

• PEZ.com
• Elvis PEZ on eBay

Returning to their roots, PEZ recently released 2 new mint flavors. Not only are these candies smaller, but they’re a different shape than the PEZ candy than you’re used to.

PEZ is obviously shooting for an older target age with this product. For one, the dispensers don’t feature clowns, or Ninja Turtles, or any characters molded on the top. They feature paintings by Norman Rockwell from his Saturday Evening Post covers. The shape is very reminiscent of what is known as a “PEZ regular”, which are the plain, lighter sized dispensers originally used to distribute PEZ.

The mints come in 2 flavors: Orange and Mint. The Orange tastes like Orange Tic Tacs, but not as sweet. The Mint is good too, about 1/2 as strong as an Altoid, but still effective. Both lasted a decent amount of time before dissolving. I got my Mini Mint PEZ at Walgreens. The sign said that they were exclusive to Walgreens, but I’m not positive if that was the entire line, or just the line featuring Saturday Evening Post covers on the dispensers. If anyone finds other types at other stores, leave a comment and let us know!

• Pez.com

candy, sweets, pez, mint, mints, orange, norman rockwell

Many movies are released that sound like they are about candy, but aren’t. Hard Candy, Strangers With Candy, and Candy are a few recent ones. Recently a movie was released on DVD that actually is about candy – it’s a documentary about Pez and Pez collectors called PEZHeads – The Movie. The documentary covers many aspects of Pez, and since I am the resident PezHead here at Candy Addict, I was given our review copy.

The documentary, which was produced by Chris and Kendra Skeene, and Directed by Chris Marshall, covers many aspects of Pez collecting, but focuses mostly on the “culture” of those who collect Pez dispensers.

They also visit several different Pez conventions, as well as talking with those that are avid collectors, dealers, and fanatics in general. They visit the US Pez headquarters and show the process of Pez being manufactured from raw sugar to finished package, as well as visiting other interesting Pez locales, and even talk with some celebrity collectors.

Overall, I thought PEZHeads: The Movie was great, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although it doesn’t have the budget of a massive Hollywood production, their enthusiasm for all things Pez more than made up for it. This DVD would make the perfect gift for that Pez collector (or Candy Addict) in your life, especially if you’re worried about getting them a Pez dispenser they already own.

The DVD is $18, or check for a screening in your area at the PEZHeads website.

• PEZheads – The Movie
• PEZHeads viewable movie trailer
• PEZheads on IMDB

candy, sweets, Pez, movies, movie, documentary, film, collectors, fanatics, PezHead, PezHeads

Geeky productivity site Lifehacker is hosting a DIY Holiday Contest, where readers can show off their best festive projects for a chance to win prizes. Reader Laura wrote in to share a nifty and unique menorah she made with her daughter. So says Laura:

My daughter and I made this PEZ Menorah for a menorah-making contest they were holding at our synagogue. We wanted something kid-related, so we were thinking of candy for our theme. My daughter has a PEZ dispenser collection, and she loves the candy, so we decided that we would use them for our menorah!

What an awesome idea and a great way to show off your PEZ dispensers too. Hmmm, maybe I should make ornaments out of mine? Or maybe the world’s most expensive PEZ Dispenser could be the angel at the top of the tree?

• The PEZnorah at LifeHacker
• PEZ Official Website

candy, sweets, PEZ, menorah, Jewish, Chanukah

Looking for something new to drool over – or on, as the case may be? Look no further than Fun To Collect. This fun site offers so many different candy-themed goods it’s almost overwhelming. From candy-shaped pillows to vintage candy logo t-shirts to candy-themed messenger bags – you’re almost sure to find something featuring your favorite candy, past or present.

Be sure and check out their extensive collection of candy-themed t-shirts. You can find Wonka shirts with Nerds, Runts, or Laffy Taffy; classic candy like Butterfinger, Crunch, and Goobers; lots of Dubble Bubble clothing, and even “lesser” candies like Chupa Chups, Razzles, Bit-O-Honey, Fun Dip, and Wax Lips. Some of their shirts are really awesome!

• Candy Apparel