"conversation hearts" news and stories

The iconic Necco Wafer is going au naturale.

The revamped product is now using red beet juice, purple cabbage, cocoa powder, paprika and turmeric to replace the artificial ingredients that had been flavoring and coloring the wafers for years.

But not every wafer made the cut.

We wrote earlier about Necco's new Conversation Hearts with foodie sayings. Well Conversation Hearts have popped up again on our interwebs today, this time in the form of artist Nathan Sawaya's Necco Human Heart. Oh yes, this is indeed an anatomically correct heart made up of hundreds of pink, yellow and purple Conversation Hearts. Sawaya writes: "I'm not a fan of Valentine's Day. It is a made up holiday and makes more people feel sad than happy. It can make your heart feel vulnerable. Almost edible." Amen.

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This year's batch of Sweethearts Conversation Hearts have a foodie theme, inscribed with sayings like "Recipe 4 Love," "Top Chef," "Sugar Pie," "Table 4 Two," and "Yum Yum." Beats the "B My Sweetie" hearts of my childhood, which were always embarassing to eat in public when you were 12.

A brief walk down Conversation Heart memory lane: I used to live in Cambridge, Massachusetts and would sometimes walk past the old New England Confectionery Company factory, where they made Conversation Hearts and Necco wafers (New England Confectionery Company, get it). The factory was a brick fortress, with ancient studded steel doors and high rusted fences. On the very top was a water tower painted rainbow colors to look like a roll of Necco wafers. When the candy machines were rollin,' you could smell that musty, spicy-sweet scent for a mile and see pastel-colored steam billowing out the smoke stack. A real Yankee version of Wonka's Chocolate Factory.

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A Valentine's Day candy staple is getting some bite.

The New England Confectionery Co., NECCO, plans to expand its 143-year-old Sweethearts Conversation Hearts line next month with treats inspired by the Stephenie Meyer vampire series "Twilight."

The candymaker will sell tiny hearts in early March with sayings like "I ♥ EC," "Lion and Lamb," "Bite Me," "Dazzle" and "Live 4 Ever," a NECCO official told AOL Food on Friday. The new hearts are tied to the March 21 "Twilight" DVD release and part of a larger Sweethearts overhaul.

Check out Holidash's article on the Newest Conversation Heart Saying.

Since we have been focusing on Valentine's Day for the past week or so, I asked a few friends and family members what their favorite treat of the season was. I was surprised to find out that almost everyone had a different answer. Those that are chocoholics didn't even hesitate - give them a box of chocolates and they have never been happier. Cookies were also a very popular answer. Some claimed that they love the conversation hearts, though they wouldn't think to buy them at any other time of the year. A number of people said they just liked anything that happened to be red, pink, or heart-shaped, even if it wasn't food. I think the best answer I received was: "Anything that just seems romantic, regardless of what it is. We need to have this holiday more than once a year."

My favorite treat by far are the little cinnamon candy hearts. I stock up in February and have them lying around in bowls for months afterwards. I like them so much in fact that I've tried crushing them up in icing to go on top of brownies (very good) and tossed a dozen or so into a cup of hot coffee in an attempt to give it a cinnamon flavor (not so good).

What is your favorite treat of the season?