"taffy" news and stories

Now and Later the hard taffy candy has two new flavors, Mango and Strawberry / Banana Split to their line-up of around 20 flavors. They are called Now and Later, as their slogan says, because they are "Hard 'N Fruity Now and Soft 'N Chewy Later." They are tough to chew at first, but then after a lot of work they eventually soften up a bit like a hard taffy.

I remember Now and Later fondly from when I was a kid. My favorites were banana and pineapple, and always wished they made hot cinnamon flavor. I never actually needed to buy any of them. My experience was that adults who had never tried the candy themselves gave them to kids for Halloween. I assume they never tried them, because they are probably the dentists best friend. They were guaranteed to pull out all the fillings in my teeth and send me immediately to the torturer, uh, dentist... for a nice relaxing visit. My first dentist, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, didn't believe in Novocaine. I think he felt that pain helped build character. Maybe that's why I am such a character today? So now you know who to blame. Oh, and don't you go blaming me if you try the new flavors and end up visiting your dentist for a nice friendly visit or three.

I noticed a comment where someone said they were looking for Bonomo's Turkish Taffy. It is a chewy, long-lasting bar candy bar that popped up around World War II and was popular not only because it tasted good, but because it was inexpensive and most kids could afford it. "Turkish Taffy" was not taffy, nor was it Turkish. The "taffy" was really a type of nougat, a mixture of egg whites and corn syrup that was whipped together and then baked. The baking gave the product a distinctively hard texture, so that it could be broken into shards if kept cold, but melted into a wonderful chew in your mouth. The original flavor was vanilla, but by the 1960s it also came in chocolate, strawberry and banana. In 1980, the company sold to Tootsie Roll Industries and, in 1989, production ceased.

Bonomo's is no more, but Old Time Candy carries a similar product called French Chew. It is long lasting, chewy, melts in your mouth and shatters when cold, just like Bonomo's did. It also comes in the same four flavors as the original product. Since we can't get the original for a side-by-side comparison, it's hard to say if they're really the same, but they are very similar candies, so you won't go wrong with the French Chew if you're looking for a taffy fix.

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A trip down to the shore is one of the best things you can do in the summer. The air is cooler than it is inland and tangy with salt. The people all seem to have smiles on their faces, playing in the water or simply relaxing on a towel in the sand. But even more attractive than the sand and surf is a boardwalk, if you're lucky enough to find a beach that has one. Boardwalks range in size from a few shops to small carnivals, with rides and games. The best thing about them is always the food. They offer both sweet and savory - none of it healthy and all of it delicious. The Travel Channel has a list of the best boardwalks, but here are some of the summer favorites you should be able to find at almost any of them.

1. Salt water taffy - Legend has it that this treat got its name when a candy store in Atlantic City was flooded with ocean water, but it was probably just a gimmick to sell the chewy candy.
2. Fudge - Fudge goes right alongside taffy in boardwalk candy stores. It's a staple of tourist areas, inexpensive and indulgent, and it holds up better than a chocolate bar in the sun.