Here’s a list of the best movie theater candy that will be worth your $12 (that’s about what they’re charging these days, right?):

10. Sno-Caps: Not many candies think to incorporate sprinkles, which is pretty genius as they add a satisfying crunch to these tiny chocolate morsels.

9. Milk Duds: Aside from peanut butter, caramel is the second best addition to chocolate (personal opinion). A fair warning, though: If you have dentures, you might wan to steer clear of these babies.

8. Mike and Ike: These fruity candies would be higher — but they’re lacking a little something…sour (see number 1).

7. 4. : Does this need an explanation? OK, fine. The commercials say it best: “First they’re sour. Then they’re sweet.”

Whenever I dig into a package of mixed fruity flavored candies, I have an entirely predictable response: savor the purples first, then the pinks and reds. (And only after I’ve plucked out those flavors will I offer to share what remains.) Even though artificial grape receives the full measure of my devotion, I’m awfully fond of red candies, too. It doesn’t even matter to me whether the reds are cherry or strawberry or something else; I like them all. So, during a recent meander through a gas station candy aisle, I was thrilled to note that the Starburst selection included a variety called FaveReds. The company describes the candies this way: “Like a mixtape of your favorite songs, the FaveReds bring your favorite juicy red flavors–strawberry, fruit punch, watermelon, and cherry–together in one pack.” A package of nothing but reds?! How could I resist?

When I pulled the package open, I smelled something peculiarly familiar. My brain struggled for a few seconds to identify it, and then suddenly I knew: cherry chapstick. In a blind smelling test, I would have been hard-pressed to differentiate between them. The package contains 12 precisely alternating pieces, three of each of the four flavors. The wrappers more or less matched the colors of the candies they contained: watermelon, the palest, was a whitish pink, while the darkest (fruit punch), was closer to plum. And each candy felt just a bit sticky, clinging to its wrapper for a second before tumbling into my waiting palm.

Even though I rarely buy Starbursts as an adult, I often ate them as a kid. So I figured that at least the strawberry and cherry flavors would seem familiar since they were among included in the packages I used to buy. Sure enough, biting into the strawberry made me wonder why I had waited so many years to revisit this candy. It was my favorite flavor: sweet and subtle, just a tiny hint of tartness. Fruit punch came in at a close second, though, with a more complex mix of flavors that made me want to keep reaching for more to figure them out. Cherry tasted more tart than sweet, and watermelon more bitter than tart or sweet. Given a choice, I would still choose watermelon over lemon (one of the original flavors that I always tried to pawn off on someone else), but I finished the watermelons only after I finished the other three reds.

Starbursts are classic candies that have been around for a long time and are familiar to almost everybody. The fruit chews were first introduced in the UK in 1960 under the name Opal Fruits (sold in packages of lemon, lime, orange, and strawberry) and then in 1967 they came to the United States under the Starburst name. The strawberry ones weren’t created until 1984. I’m glad that new flavors and ideas keep coming along, because I’m still waiting for a grape Starburst. Maybe someday.

• Starburst Favereds
• Starburst History

Traditional licorice candy isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but it certainly has an enduring presence whether tucked inside the nightstand of a grandparent or happily gobbled up by boisterous teens in the back of a dark movie theater.

Made from Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract mixed with wheat flour, molasses, and sugar, the deep dark chewy sensation – depending on which resource you consult – is also either incredibly therapeutic for the treatment of sore throats and respiratory ailments or bad news for Candy Addicts® who don’t want to fall victim to a premature heart attack.

Fortunately for 92 year old natural confectionery institution Panda,
legions of licorice believers have chosen to rally in favor of the angelic side of their favorite treat. As a result, fans have been privy to everything from soft, conventional, bite-sized black chews to crunchy candy coated versions and varieties infused with ripe cherry and raspberry essence.

Avid readers of this illustrious blog may recall our previous review of their sticky-sweet, dried apricot-esque Raspberry Flavored Bar – a reliable, fruity escape that boasts minimal ingredients with maximum taste bud pizazz. Unlike seemingly comparable efforts by the likes of Darrell Lea, Twizzlers and Red Vines, Panda’s new Blueberry Licorice boasts real berry puree (rather than a mere extract or oil) as the third of six total ingredients.

The result is a truly pliable, fresh-flavored blueberry chew that, with the addition of molasses and a subtle dash of licorice extract, yields an interestingly nuanced yet not at all overpowering treat that is as toothsome as it is kinda-sorta healthy. Licorice loathers really should keep this product in mind as a gateway confection since it’s incredibly easy on the taste buds — by dipping your toes in Panda Blueberry Licorice waters, you’ll experience a happy fruity mouth party rather than a harsh, lingering licorice shakedown.

Since there are no artificial preservatives in Panda’s licorice, my blueberry bites transformed from chewy to semi-crunchy in record time, so if you appreciate your candy morsels soft and squishy, you might want to transfer the contents of your box to a resealable glass, stainless steel, or plastic container stat. Nevertheless, even when they’re “stale”, they’re still entirely edible…they just stick around a bit longer in the nooks and crannies of your teeth.

Overall, I’d say that plunging into a box of these blueberry babies was a perfectly enjoyable diversion – one that registers rather low on the candy consumption scale o’ guilt – but with so many other adventurous sugar rushes on the horizon, I doubt that I’ll be a repeat buyer. Not because they’re not good, but rather because they’re not good enough to capture the sustained adoration of a short-attention-spanned sugar glutton like myself.

Nevertheless, I really do think that Panda has done a fine job with their latest offering and wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a tremendous hit like their candy coated black licorice bites deserve to be. I can say in all honesty that if I was forced to choose between a faux fruit Twizzlers product or a 100% natural one from Panda, the Finnish version would win for flavor and sheer quality, hands down.

So go ahead… give it a try. As far as $2.00 treats go, you can rest assured that your money will be well spent for a one way ticket into fruity-sugar-happy-land!

• Panda Blueberry Licorice

On a recent vacation in southeastern Tennessee, in which I must have wandered starry-eyed through at least a dozen fudge and candy shops, I kept bumping into these Lollipops from Blanton’s Candies. When I’m on the prowl for new sweets, lollipops don’t often register on my “intriguing candy” radar, probably because I prefer to chew my hard candies rather than suck on them. I find the crunch much more satisfying than the dissolve. But these lollipops caught my attention because of their beautiful, shiny appearance.

I loved the bright, cheerful, whimsical colors. When I picked one up for closer inspection, I noticed that all of the sticks were printed with the name and address of a local Tennessee candy company, Blanton’s Candies. I always like to try locally made treats, so I decided to sample a few of these lollipops. I had my choice of perhaps twenty varieties, but I picked only four: grape, orange cream, cotton candy, and candy corn.

My overwhelming impression? Holy cow, these are hard to eat!! Something about their big, barrel shape makes them incredibly awkward to maneuver. I could fit the whole thing in my mouth, but just barely, and after a moment, my jaw began to ache with the effort. Even though I’m not a novice lollipop eater, I kept drooling on myself when I pulled the lollipop out of my mouth to give my jaw a rest. I won’t confess how many times this happened, except to say that I might still be scrubbing lollipop stains out of my shirt if I hadn’t tucked a bib under my chin.

In addition to bracing yourself for an excess of drool, you should also know that your tongue will turn brightly colored, too. So the best time to eat one of these would be when you’re bumming around at home in old clothing, and not, say, before a job interview.

I had expected to like grape best since artificial grape is my favorite fruity candy flavor, but instead, orange cream easily won the contest. I could detect both orange and cream flavors, and, as I had hoped when I picked out this lollipop, it reminded me of an Orange Creamsicle. The other three flavors were less pronounced. Grape tasted right for the first ten minutes, but by the time I had sucked on it long enough for the stripes to fade, the grape flavor had begun to fade, too.

Cotton candy gave me a vague association of the boardwalk and summertime, but it was subtle. And I was disappointed by candy corn. I loved the idea (candy, flavored like a different candy!) but I could just barely detect the candy corn flavoring. Had I not known the flavor ahead of time, I’m not sure I would have been able to tell at all.

Because I saw these lollipops all over the place when I was in Tennessee, I thought for sure I would be able to track them down when I got back home. But instead, I discovered that Blanton’s Candies has zero web presence, and I mean absolutely flat-out zip-zilch 100 percent none. I could find the company’s name and address and phone number and hours listed in various online directories. I could even find a few scattered comments online about Blanton’s Candies products, but they don’t maintain a website and there’s no information anywhere about where to buy these candies. If you’re in Tennessee, and perhaps some neighboring states, you’ll see them everywhere. Otherwise, you’re probably out of luck.

• More lollipops on Candy Addict®

An epiphany can come about through meditation, a chance encounter, a life-changing moment or, of course, a box of chocolates. More specifically, Epiphany Fine Chocolates. Through handmade chocolate creations, the company’s mission, according to its website, is: “to introduce you to indulgent and surprising flavors, as well as inspire you to try new adventures, meet fascinating people, experience unexpected places, and contribute to our world.”

Now the question is: does this chocolate indulgence in fact cause an epiphany?

Having been sent a generous portion of samples, I’d have to answer both yes and no. From the moment I opened to packaging, I was impressed with the brown keepsake boxes that resemble cigar boxes. I found the color palette and branding to be appealing and was very excited to see the candies.

First I opened the Double Ohhh Seven sample, a box containing three pieces of Swiss mint fudge enrobed in chocolate and topped with a green dollop of (what I think was) chocolate. A hearty bite revealed a mild mint flavor—just enough to please. The fudge-like center and bites of mint cookie bits were also delightful. But I was not a fan of the milk chocolate coating. The texture wasn’t creamy enough and tasted like the store-brand chocolates you get at Walmart on Easter.

Next up was The Crowd Pleasers sampler box of 10 assorted fudge and caramel chocolates. Initially, I was impressed by the apparent detail that went into making each chocolate and at the overall presentation. Though two were the the same, the box contained nine different chocolates—each with its own color, texture, shape and personality.

And I was excited to see one of them was white chocolate and one dark amidst a sea of milk chocolates. The dark chocolate appeared to be old though. My guess is that it started to melt and then harden again because there were white dots on it.

As I took a bite of each candy, I used my paper guide and the website descriptions to aid me in identifying what I was eating. The delicately crafted copy writing led me to believe I was going to experience pleasant, unique flavor explosions and the clever names were inspiring. But as I ate each one, I found most to be lacking in flavor.

The Berry White was a mixed-berry fudge. I just found it to be super sweet with a hint of berry.

La Vida Mocha is a lumpy mocha fudge with shortbread cookie bits, topped with a coffee bean. Perhaps it’s because I’m a coffee lover, but I was wondering where the coffee flavor was.

Golden Girl, a butterscotch caramel with gingersnap cookie bits, was decent in taste but very hard to chew. Obviously, caramel makes it as such…so I wasn’t too bothered by that. This one tasted like gingerbread and I definitely picked up on the flavor combination.

Wendy Darling is peanut butter fudge with crunchy puffed rice, according to the description. I was let down at the lack of peanut butter flavor and found this one to leave a bad aftertaste.

Next was the Yum & Yang, which is vanilla toffee caramel. The caramel was good but I could not taste any trace of vanilla.

The Cocoa Chanel is a milk chocolate fudge with pecans. I found the chocolate to taste concentrated. It was almost as if I’d purchased a piece of fudge and dipped it in chocolate syrup. Not a fan.

I think the next one I ate was Queen B, butter toffee fudge, but I really couldn’t even tell. No flavor.

The Grande Diva is dark chocolate with fudge and pecans. Again, lacking in flavor.

Last was the Holly Woods, sea salt caramel and cashews coated in chocolate, then topped with a cashew. This one was my favorite. I could taste each flavor and was pleased with the texture.

Overall, the drawbacks are that these candies don’t seem to live up to their looks, descriptions or photos. I think the chocolate tastes cheap and the flavor balances are off. Sometimes there is total absence in flavor. Even though they are homemade and crafted with good intention, it seems like the price point of $8 for a three-piece box and $26 for a 10-piece box is too high for the quality of the product.

The perks are that I actually enjoyed eating three of the candies – Golden Girl, Holly Woods and the Swiss Mint Fudge – which leads me to believe that the chocolatier has the potential to make better ones. I also was entertained by the names of the chocolates and their well-written descriptions. The packaging and branding are super cute. The keepsake box is a great idea. The chocolates are kosher, a plus for anyone who has this preference. And the overall look of the chocolates was good.

In the end, I didn’t really have any kind of epiphany except that perhaps I’m a chocolate snob.

• Epiphany Fine Chocolates

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.

Amid random carpet crumbs and tufts of dog fur, the next crucial step would then be to sort, categorize, and ultimately pawn off all candy rejects upon easily swayed siblings and casual acquaintances who failed to grasp the unspoken yet inarguable confection hierarchy that still exists to this very day.

In my post-Halloween candy sorting circle, anyone with a shred of sugar sense knew that scoring willing Good & Plenty adoptees was an exercise in sheer futility.

Flinging those much-reviled miniature boxes directly into the closest garbage can was the far more appropriate, time-saving action. Even when afflicted with absolute sugar desperation, you could attempt to vigorously chew the white and Pepto-Bismol tinted, candy coated, black licorice bits and still end up swallowing them partially whole thanks to their chronically stale state.

Someone out there must still have a soft spot for Good & Plenty based on the fact that – even in 2012 – the purportedly edible yet rock-hard classic is inexplicably still available at a wide range of mass merchandisers. For the rest of us, there is Panda’s Candy Coated Licorice, and oh, what a relief it is.

There are several ways in which the Finnish company’s latest greatest entry blows Good & Plenty straight out of the water, the most obvious one being that each individual candy-coated piece is easily twice the size of its pitiful forerunner. With a legitimately soft and chewy black licorice interior – flavored with genuine rooty goodness – there is far more toothsome, easily pliable, unrefined sugar to love.

As candy selections go, Panda’s Candy Coated Licorice is a bit healthier than typical marketplace offerings based on the fact that it is absent of high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors/flavors, or preservatives.

When seeking out authentic-tasting black licorice, molasses should be the main sweetening agent, as it is in this product. The thick brown highly concentrated syrup – which is a by-product of the sugar refining process – is conveniently rich in beneficial minerals such as manganese, iron, copper, magnesium, and potassium as well as calcium but it also happens to impart licorice with that unmistakable earthy flavor.

What else makes Panda’s sugar coated escape well worth hunting down at your favorite market? Well, if you walk the dietary straight and narrow by actively avoiding all animal-based protein sources, you’ll be happy to learn that their Candy Coated Licorice is 100% vegan-friendly. You won’t find a scrap of gelatin in it, nor eggs or milk for that matter.

Let’s put aside the “health” aspect of this treat and get down to the sugar nitty gritty. Each piece of Panda’s licorice is dunked in a crisp yet easily yielding sugar shell. Somewhat surprisingly, the light yellow coating is distinctively citrusy, with a sharp yet pleasing lemon edge that you’ll want to experience again and again.

On the opposite end of the tasting spectrum, the white shell surrounding Panda’s perfectly textured, molasses sweetened licorice is laden with anise and peppermint, both of which would complement a cup of tea quite nicely. Even on their own, Panda’s refreshing white candy coated licorice bits would make an excellent after dinner mint.

Each relatively petite 3.5 ounce bag, priced at under $2.00, makes absolute mincemeat of the candy-coated licorice competition. Instead of working overtime to pawn your Panda morsels off on the sugar-clueless, you’ll realize with the very first bite that these ebony gems are in a hoard-worthy class all of their own.

• Panda’s Candy-Coated Licorice

If you’re an avid Candy Addict® reader, a chocolate aficionado, or just a tad obsessed with Ritter Sport, you’re probably already familiar with the company history. But, for everyone else, here’s a rundown of the past 100 years in Ritter Sport:

• 1912: Alfred Ritter and his wife, Clara, founded a chocolate factory in Bad Cannstatt, Germany.
• 1919: They introduced Alrike, their own chocolate brand, to the market.
• 1930: The company relocated to Waldenbuch.
• 1932: The square bar we know and love today was created. Clara Ritter set out to make a unique chocolate bar—one “that fits into the pocket of every sports jacket, doesn’t break and still weighs the same as a normal long bar of chocolate.” Welcome Ritter’s Sport Chocolate.
• 1952: Founder Alfred Eugen Ritter dies at age 66. His son Alfred Otto Ritter takes over.
• 1959: Founder Clara Ritter dies at age 82.
• 1960: Alfred Otto Ritter decides do away with the production of long chocolate bars, pralines and hollow chocolate figures. Instead, production is focused on the chocolate square, and the Ritter Sport brand is born.
• 1970: Ritter Sport is recognized throughout all of Germany when the country’s first-ever chocolate made with yogurt is introduced by the company and a national TV commercial debuts. Germany is also introduced to the “Quality. Chocolate. Squared.” slogan.
• 1974: Each Ritter Sport bar is assigned a colored packaging.
• 1976: The revolutionary snap-open pack is introduced.
• 1978: A third generation of Ritters takes over the company.
• 1982: The miniature square bar is introduced.
• 1991: The switch is made from composite materials to fully recyclable, single-material packaging made of polypropylene.
• 2002: Ritter Sport begins producing approximately 30% of its own electricity and 70% of its own heating needs.
• 2004: The candy is now available in more than 70 countries.
• 2007: Ritter Sport makes the switch to 100% natural flavorings.
• 2008: An organic line of chocolate bars in introduced.
• 2012: 100th birthday!

Phew, that was a lot of history. But even by just reading these company highlights, it’s evident that Ritter Sport is more than a family of chocolatiers. They’re successful entrepreneurs whose family values, innovative mindset, compassion and environmental interest have set them apart from other candy makers.

Suggested ways to celebrate Ritter Sport’s 100th birthday:

• Eat your way through all the flavors available in your country.
• Visit the award-winning special 100 Years website.
• Buy some for your friends.
• Cook with Ritter Sport.
• Book a trip to Germany so you can try the special anniversary bar (pictured above).

In a league of their own, Ritter Sport has spent the past decade flirting with chocoholics worldwide, titillating our taste buds, wooing us with masterful flavor combinations and colorful, inventive snap-open packaging. Hopefully this decadent German chocolate love affair shall continue for years to come.

• Ritter Sport
• Ritter Sport at Candy Addict®

I saw this Reese’s Pieces car on the road today and managed to snap a picture while driving.

A kind doorman welcomed me to the pop-up’s opening reception with a pack of Haribo Gold-Bears, and then I stepped into a vibrant, colorfully decorated room that would excite any Candy Addict®.

Again, I walked right into another piece of candy art—a rose portrait that appeared to be made of a variety of candies bordered by different milk and dark chocolates. There were also large, bright portraits made of gummy bears. Turns out, the candies are actually hand-cast in homemade molds by artist/sculptor/innovator Kevin Champeny. With a background in sculpting and prototypes, Kevin works with Jellio to design a range of pieces that include GummiLights and the Candelier, made from hand-strung acrylic gummi bears. Speaking with Kevin, I could see his deep level of passion for what he does for Jellio. He even shared with me his portfolio—that reaches far beyond candy creations.

Candy art aside, Jellio showcases a range of home decor products that will brighten up any room. Jellio is the brainchild of Mario Marsicano. An avid toy collector with a background in advertising, Mario got his start by simply creating storage spaces for his toys. He began storing them in clear cubes that could be used as tables, and his friends started asking him how they could get their hands on one. And he’s come a long way since toy storage.

Jellio’s signature item is the GummiLight. The battery-powered lights come in a variety of colors and are made of rubber, so you don’t have to worry about them breaking if they get knocked over. The GummiLight has recently been redesigned to be brighter, more lightweight and offered at a lower price point than its predecessor.

Another gummy-inspired piece is the GummiToy. Similar to a rubber duck, the bear-shaped toys are sold in packs of five, and are a must-have for any gummy-lover. Gummy-lovers will also appreciate the GummiKing, a 4-foot-tall bear that can bring happiness to any room.

If you prefer furniture inspired by ice cream and cupcakes, Jellio has that, too. Made from a polyurethane shell, topped with a molded rubber cushion, the Cupcake Seat is the perfect seat, ottoman and conversation piece. If you’re more partial to ice cream, Jellio also offers Ice Cream Cone Barstools.

The pop-up shop also spotlights GummiWear, a new line of apparel that includes t-shirts, hats and hoodies.

Whether you’re looking to add some spunk to a kid’s room or just bring out the kid in you, Jellio products are worth checking out. Anyone in the New York City area can check out the pop-up shop at 14 Wooster Street on Friday, May 18, 20012 until 5 pm and Saturday, May 19, 2012 from 10 am to 5 pm.

• Jellio Website
• Jellio at Candy Addict®