There are certain names you associate with candy. Hershey? Yes. Reese’s? Yes. Goetze? Probably not. Despite their seemingly unknown name in the candy world, you most likely have seen their products, you just didn’t know they made them.
As a company now in its fifth generation of family ownership, Goetze produces only one candy. Caramel Creams. From that product alone, they offer several flavor varieties and the spin-off version called Cow Tales.
One of those cooler perks about my job (my non-candy day job) is that I am constantly making deliveries to various businesses downtown. And though it’s always interesting to see how corporate America decorates its offices, what is more fun is that there is more likely than not a candy dish sitting at the receptionist’s desk.
A law firm up on 9th St. is a regular customer of ours, and they always have a bowl of Caramel Creams waiting for me. So on my most recent delivery, I grabbed a handful (or three) of these babies. When the receptionist gave me a crooked look for taking so many, I explained it was necessary for research purposes.
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Peppermints by Vanessa St. Laurent
When I first saw some of Vanessa St. Laurent’s artwork, I started to drool. I mean my mouth literally began to water. You see, Vanessa paints pictures of candy. Her work ranges from really fun to surprisingly provocative. I had no idea you could use candy to express such a variety of emotions. I decided to talk with the artist herself to see what she had to say.
Cadence: Why candy art? How did you get started on this path?
Vanessa: I paint candy because I love it. I have been a Candy Addict since I was old enough to taste. I started painting candy in 2005 when I had to choose a single subject that would serve as a source of inspiration for an entire year. I switched topics several times before deciding that the only thing I never seem to get enough of or get tired of is candy. Three years later candy still serves as an endless source of inspiration for me.
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Although I don’t consider myself to be a picky eater, I’ve been told that I tend to dissect my food. This is particularly true when said food was once alive and has the ability to surprise me with an unexpected texture or color. I hate to admit that this attention to food detail has in the past extended to candy. I am referring to my hesitance to try Cow Tales.
My early experiences with this candy involved seeing it displayed alongside bouquets of Slim Jims at convenience stores. This frightened me to my very core as a child. And as a teenager. And to this day. Does the close proximity to mechanically separated chicken parts mean that there could possibly be an actual cow’s tale in this unassuming white wrapper? What exactly is a Cow Tale? And is the spelling just a clever ruse to distract me from the fact that I may be about to consume an actual appendage?
Let’s just say I overreacted a little bit.
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