308916 Thu Jul 13 01:04:33 -0700 2006 66 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1741651 A co-worker brought in a bunch of leftover pinata candy, and as I was reaching in, she said, "You're the only one who likes the chili kind!" I love all the Mexican candies with either tamarind or chili or both. I also love Mexican fudge. What are your favorite off-the-beaten path sweets? Thu Jul 13 01:04:33 -0700 2006 12460 Chowpatty 1 1741794 Do tell, what is Mexican fudge? Hurry, I'm salivating! Thu Jul 13 02:48:16 -0700 2006 1741651 14014 liu 1 1741803 It's just made from milk and sugar -- it's called leche quemada. It's kind of like penuche, but made with white sugar instead of brown. It's available in many Mexican markets in the small cases that hold fresh pralines, coconut fudge-type stuff, etc. Thu Jul 13 02:53:08 -0700 2006 1741651 12460 Chowpatty 2 1741889 Mmmmm...I will check it out. Do you think Vallarte Mexican Market will have it? Thu Jul 13 03:56:15 -0700 2006 1741803 14014 liu 3 1743348 I'm not familiar with Vallarte, but I think in general the smaller mom 'n pop places are more likely to have the fresh candy case up front. In L.A., it's also available at Grand Central Market and Olvera Street. Thu Jul 13 21:01:34 -0700 2006 1741889 12460 Chowpatty 4 1743887 Grand Central Market -- that works! Thanks!! Fri Jul 14 01:20:31 -0700 2006 1743348 14014 liu 1 1741811 Durian candy. Sort of like salt-water taffy, but durian-flavored. Also, ting-ting jahe, the sticky ginger candy from southeast Asia. And, though it's not quite candy, Choward's Scents gum. Thu Jul 13 02:58:50 -0700 2006 1741651 10365 GG Mora 1 1741831 I love the lavender gum, it reminds me of my mom! That must be where I got my wierd candy genes, she was always buying odd stuff like that gum (and the mints, too). Thu Jul 13 03:17:16 -0700 2006 1741651 12460 Chowpatty 2 2924998 Hi Chowpatty, Any idea where one would get that purple gum ? Did it look like purple chicklets ? Sun Sep 09 15:59:12 -0700 2007 1741831 126007 buzzbrain 1 1742134 Double salted licorice. Thu Jul 13 11:42:52 -0700 2006 1741651 10985 MMRuth 2 1742636 I love the double salted licorice. I have friends who bring back quite a variety of salted licorices from the Netherlands.Yum! Thu Jul 13 16:30:29 -0700 2006 1742134 10285 Candy 1 1742546 Hi.. At 99 Ranch (asian markets in L.A.), they sell packages of fragrant muscat grape flavored gels (essentially, large gummies). They actually exude the aroma and flavor of wine grapes, and though chewy, are more tender than traditional gummies. To be found in the same aisle as the Pocky selection. Thu Jul 13 15:51:38 -0700 2006 1741651 13171 silence9 2 1742799 Yes! The green muscat jelly candies are so good! I am also a big fan of the lychee flavored jellies. Thu Jul 13 17:32:32 -0700 2006 1742546 16861 rilkeanheart 1 1742709 Marshmallow Peeps Zagnuts Valomilks Claeys Candy (Watermelon and Root Beer flavors in particular) Razzles (tropical flavor) Thu Jul 13 17:01:51 -0700 2006 1741651 11583 ipsedixit 1 1742782 Depending on what you consider oddball: Chinese dried salted plums Mexican chili-coated gummi bears (I'm literally salivating thinking about them - hope that's not TMI) Pearson's salted nut rolls chocolate covered potato chips really anything that satisfies that salty/sweet craving Thu Jul 13 17:29:01 -0700 2006 1741651 13324 diesel 1 1742792 a raw sugar cane. Thu Jul 13 17:31:38 -0700 2006 1741651 11006 chica 1 1743562 Muscovado sugar by the spoonful. I don't think anything is really oddball unless it's a strange combo you make at home. Thu Jul 13 22:24:29 -0700 2006 1741651 18842 typetive 1 1759929 I have to agree with rilkeanheart...I love the green muscat and lychee gummies...get them at the corner Korean grocery... Fri Jul 21 23:32:47 -0700 2006 1741651 20700 Schveinhund 1 1759937 At 99 Ranch and Chinese grocery stores, they have this candy that looks like pennies. I'm really not sure what it is, but the candies are stacked into little rolls--exactly like mini rolls of coins. They're a bit thinner than pennies, but pretty much the dark brown, copper color. They're sweet, but not overly so and certainly not sugary. There's a SLIGHT saltiness to them. Again, I'm not sure exactly what these types of candy are called. I've been searching for them at 99 Ranch, but at the branch I shop, I am never able to find them. Fri Jul 21 23:36:27 -0700 2006 1741651 12437 Pamela 2 1759944 Those are called HAW-FLAKES!! A cheap asian friend of mine tried selling them off individually during grade school days.... Hi-Chew are the best candy around!!! Fri Jul 21 23:39:11 -0700 2006 1759937 19511 otonitoni 3 1759960 Haw flakes (or disks) are great, but are they really "candy"? Anyhow, haw flakes/disks go great with fresh brewed cold sour plum juice ... Fri Jul 21 23:46:47 -0700 2006 1759944 11583 ipsedixit 4 1759985 Interesting point. They are not as sweet/sugary as typical (American) candy, that's for sure. But they're still sweet. I personally would characterize them as candy because: 1) they're located in the candy aisle of the Chinese grocery stores; and 2) they have no nutritional value whatsoever. Thanks to Otonitoni for the candy name. Went through life without knowing the name. Just called them "pennies" all this time. Fri Jul 21 23:55:17 -0700 2006 1759960 12437 Pamela 5 1759997 Here's a pic of haw flakes. http://cardhouse.com/a/pixbarn/p19.htm This also got me thinking that I really like the White Rabbit candies (with the edible rice paper wrapping) ... ya gotta love white caramel! Sat Jul 22 00:01:37 -0700 2006 1759985 11583 ipsedixit 5 1764818 I used to love Haw Flakes as a kid - my Grandpa would take me into Chinatown in SF and buy packages of them and stoke my then rampaging sweet tooth. As noted, no nutritional value whatsoever. Don't know if this is oddball, but I love the Filipino pastilla candies. Not much in the way of nutritional value either(condensed milk and sugar) - flavor variations include langka, ube, mango, and mocha. Tue Jul 25 00:35:09 -0700 2006 1759985 10381 josquared 4 1760000 Blech.... Haw flakes bring back memories of bitter chinese herbal brews (which the Haw flakes are supposed to counteract.... supposed to being the keyword) :P Sat Jul 22 00:06:05 -0700 2006 1759960 11949 AquaW 5 1760011 Ipsedixit, that's exactly it. I remember the pink wrapper, although I'm surprised I don't remember the name at all. Laughed at the ingredients: "Haw and sugar." No one in their right mind will know what "haw" is. They describe the taste precisely: Like a hardened version of fruit roll-up, which, incidently, is another product with zero nutritional value. Sat Jul 22 00:17:56 -0700 2006 1760000 12437 Pamela 6 1892748 I think haw is the fruit of a hawthorn tree but I'm not sure. Can anyone confirm this? Thu Sep 21 18:57:20 -0700 2006 1760011 28104 peashoot 3 1889520 2nd the Hi-Chew appreciation! Better than Starburst, with great flavor choices. Wed Sep 20 16:32:56 -0700 2006 1759944 16861 rilkeanheart 3 2925027 Looooooooove caramel Hi-Chew! It almost has a coconut flavor to it. I'm still on the fence about Bontan-ame...the rice paper gets gelatinous and the texture is kind of squicky to me. I like the candy, though. I also once had a Japanese candy that was like a malted milk ball in structure, but it tasted like a caramel latte. Melon Pocky was surprisingly good, and I'm a huge fan of black sugar hard candy. Sun Sep 09 16:19:18 -0700 2007 1759944 112034 spellweaver16 1 1760017 Dude! Totally MALLOCUPS! They are incredibly hard to find, especially North of the Mason-Dixon line, and are incredibly wonderful. I remember, as a kid, I would score a few prize Mallocups in each haul of Halloween booty and ate those veryveryveryvery last. Gems, they are. Squishy, mallowy, coconutty gems. Sat Jul 22 00:23:09 -0700 2006 1741651 20869 Jamaica Jones 1 1760025 Tamarind balls. The best I have ever had were fresh in Grenada. Fresh tamarind, salt, sugan and baking soda. I have tried to replicate them, but without luck. Sat Jul 22 00:28:28 -0700 2006 1741651 10257 catzen 2 1762245 I love a good tamarind ball! The best I have had, like the Mexican fudge, I wrote about above, were from a Mexican stand at Grand Central Market in L.A. Thai markets have tamarind candy, but Mexican is usually better. I'd love to try the Grenada variety. Sun Jul 23 22:49:34 -0700 2006 1760025 12460 Chowpatty 3 1891509 Never had a tamarind ball, but I love the tamarind candy that comes on a plastic spoon. Wish they sold Nutella that way...much safer.... Thu Sep 21 04:56:01 -0700 2006 1762245 15764 LisaAZ 1 1760566 MMMMMMMMMMM mallowcups! I haven't had one for a while, but they are incredible! My other hard to find favorite is Chuckles candy. Can't find it in stores in So, California, but have to order it online. ARGH! We were just in Indiananpolis, and bought out the Chuckles supply at the closest 7-11. Couldn't find it again! Sat Jul 22 14:00:26 -0700 2006 1741651 10885 OneJayneDoe 1 1762458 I still dream of Willy Wonka Wacky Wafers. I've searched and searched, but they don't make them anymore. I'm a sucker for any of that kind of kiddie candy. A couple of years ago, my hubby filled my stocking on Christmas with all that good stuff - Fun Dips, Chewy Sweettarts, Sixlets, Nerds, Runts. The only thing that would have made it better would have been Wacky Wafers. Another dreamy candy are cotton candy flavored Lifesavers that are part of their spring mix sold at Easter. Absolute Heaven! Mon Jul 24 01:34:36 -0700 2006 1741651 12743 DC Gal 1 1762477 Sponge Taffy I have only seen it in Canada. Mon Jul 24 01:49:07 -0700 2006 1741651 12471 jlawrence01 1 1764565 I don't consider these oddball but my friends do. C. Howards (Chowards) Violet Candy and Scented Gum, Orange Circus Peanuts, Atomic Fire Balls, Willy Wonka Root Beer Wafers, Sixlets, Smarties, Candy Necklaces, Pez, those Pink Wintergreen mints that are semi-soft, King Leo Soft Peppermint Stick, and Pay Day candy bars. Mon Jul 24 22:48:50 -0700 2006 1741651 10732 JMF 1 1764832 Y'all need to read "Candyfreak" by Steve Almond. Candy addicts everywhere will be able to identify with the author's life-long love affair with candy. I felt like I'd met a soul-mate. Tue Jul 25 00:42:01 -0700 2006 1741651 21439 dorty 1 1768294 Reading through this again made me think of Dylan's Candy Bar in NYC. If you haven't been, add it to your list of stops for your next trip to the Big Apple. It really is a candy-lovers paradise. It is almost as though you have walked into the set of Willy Wonka! My most favorite thing there are the gummi bears available separately by flavor. They have these red berry ones that are INCREDIBLE! of course, everything is way overpriced in that Manhattan sort of way, but it is worth it for some of the finds there. Check it out. Wed Jul 26 14:50:03 -0700 2006 1741651 12743 DC Gal 2 1768317 I would suggest Economy Candy on the LES.. now that's a real candy store! Wed Jul 26 14:58:45 -0700 2006 1768294 11004 SLO 3 1768513 Tell me more - I'm not a New Yorker - so you have to tell me what LES means. Wed Jul 26 16:12:35 -0700 2006 1768317 12743 DC Gal 4 1779491 economy candy has a website and you can order stuff, but nothing compares to a visit to the old store. they have every oddball old style candy you can remember. yay for cin-cin! http://www.economycandy.com/ Tue Aug 01 03:21:01 -0700 2006 1768513 11372 mrnyc 4 2925731 LES = Lower East Side Sun Sep 09 21:36:51 -0700 2007 1768513 102095 vvvindaloo 2 1776479 Dairy Fresh Candy, in the North End neighborhood in Boston, also has some remarkable choices, especially by-the-pound bulk candies I've never seen anyplace else. Sun Jul 30 16:54:04 -0700 2006 1768294 17327 rootlesscosmo 1 1768542 Anything with Li Hing Mui - dried salted plum. Bontan-ame - old Japanese citrus gel wrapped in dissolving rice paper. Ting ting jahe Ginger Chews - available in Asian markets in a white and blue bag with a picture of ginger on it. The Ginger People chews at Whole Foods are basically the same thing, but way more expensive. Chili Mango - Mexican dried mango with chili pepper. And anything sour. Wed Jul 26 16:23:33 -0700 2006 1741651 19345 linlinchan 2 1777360 Bontan-ame!!! Oh, the memories! I had an uncle who was a martial artist. When he came to visit, he always had some of this candy. I thought he brought if from Asia. I didn't realize he was getting it from Chinatown in Philadelphia. Didn't matter - it was the most exotic thing I had ever eaten. Imagine, eating the paper! Still, I cannot resist it when I see it. Mon Jul 31 06:28:32 -0700 2006 1768542 12513 Divamac 3 2925715 Are those like Botan rice candies? They have a very mild citrus flavor, but I'm not sure I'd describe them as orange. The gelatinous candy is kind of an indescribable flavor, but it's been a looong time. Sun Sep 09 21:31:01 -0700 2007 1777360 24126 amyzan 2 2925738 Ditto lin. Have you has ume pills. Not sure the name but nice and salty. Sun Sep 09 21:44:43 -0700 2007 1768542 123840 Shaylala 1 1778268 I love the rice candy they sell at Chinese Restaurants and grocery stores, the chewy candy that has the rice paper that melts in your mouth. I always found that part so cool as a kid. I once had a package of cookies from Australia that should have been called candy, and they were called Dangerous Liasons. They had a cookie bottom, a layer of caramel, some ganache, and then dipped in chocolate. I swear it tasted like a Twix bar, only better...I ate an entire package in under 10 minutes. My current favorite candy is not weird, just hard to find. Princessa wafer candy bars, I think they are Polish, and my favorite has vanilla wafers layered with coconut creme and dipped in white chocolate. Quite possibly the most perfect candy bar ever made. Other American favorites that are hard to find: chick-o-sticks (like a butterfinger without the chocolate), coconut bar(chocolate, vanilla and strawberry flavored layers of coconut) and bit o honey, even though it nearly pulls my fillings out when I eat it. What a fun post! Mon Jul 31 18:43:33 -0700 2006 1741651 20828 foodrocks 2 2925043 We used to get that rice candy at the Chinese place where we'd go to have springfield-style cashew chicken. Sun Sep 09 16:26:16 -0700 2007 1778268 32586 revsharkie 2 2925345 We were at Sam's club earlier and they had cases of chik-o-sticks so you might look in your neck of the woods. Sun Sep 09 18:32:10 -0700 2007 1778268 97258 pickychicky1979 1 1778291 Haribo Gold Gummi Bears, preferably the ones made in Bonn, Germany! Mon Jul 31 18:53:17 -0700 2006 1741651 18205 mattrapp 2 2925056 O yes. Many years ago when I was in the Spanish Club in junior high, we used to get all these international candies that no one had ever seen in our part of the world. Haribo Gummi Bears (the first Gummi Bears I ever heard of and still the only ones I'm really all that interested in), Chupa Chups suckers, Toblerones, and some little sour taffy things I can't remember the name of. We'd sell them as a fund-raiser--but I don't know that we ever had to do much selling outside of the Spanish classroom. Do you know what a Haribo Gummi Bear does if you put it in water and leave it for a couple of days? We discovered this quite by accident; someone had thrown one out the window of the Spanish classroom, onto the auditorium roof that was right below it, and then we had a really rainy spell and the bear ended up sitting in a puddle. It swelled up to probably four times its normal size and all the color went out of it, so it was just this bear-shaped bit of jelly. Very weird. Of course I immediately went home and took a gummy bear out of the bag I had just bought, and left it in a glass of water on the kitchen counter to see if it would do the same thing. it did. Sun Sep 09 16:30:42 -0700 2007 1778291 32586 revsharkie 3 2925728 cool! i will have to test this myself. Sun Sep 09 21:35:37 -0700 2007 2925056 102095 vvvindaloo 1 1779487 Actually I think these are gross, but "Yemas Acarameladas" (candied egg yolks) are beloved in Argentina. They are spherical hard-cooked egg yolks encased in a brittle burnt-sugar caramel coating. Tue Aug 01 03:15:22 -0700 2006 1741651 15521 Querencia 1 1891093 Pastillas de leche- I could hundreds of these in one sitting- whole milk, milk powder and sugar boiled down into a paste-dough, then rolled in more sugar packaged in tiny bite sized morsels, cause it's so rich. Tamarindo w/ extra Lucas Lime salt Thu Sep 21 00:56:57 -0700 2006 1741651 25247 Veggietales 2 1891105 here's more info on Pastillas de leche... I want to hook more addicts! http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/pastillas-de-leche-ng-kalabaw-carabaos-milk-candy Thu Sep 21 01:03:31 -0700 2006 1891093 25247 Veggietales 1 1891201 I love the candied fruits one finds in Mexican markets--especially the candied lime halves stuffed with shredded coconut. Candied yams (not our Thanksgiving kind but actually in dry, candied form) are a second favorite. And I love Colombian arequipe--a smooth, creamy milk caramel concoction that goes great with figs in heavy syrup. Speaking of favorite treats from childhood, does anyone remember Indian Pumpkin Seeds? They were my favorite! I yearned for them as an adult for years. Then one day, I found them on the Web! I ordered two cases--it's a miracle my blood pressure didn't rocket sky-high from all the sodium. There are several purveyors of "vintage" candies and treats on the Web, so those of you yearning for those treats from yesteryear might want to Google them. Thu Sep 21 01:49:14 -0700 2006 1741651 13413 laurie 1 1892698 Violets. Does anyone remember these? Square purple chalky candies. My family thinks they taste and smell like soap, but I absolutely LOVE them! Thu Sep 21 18:36:57 -0700 2006 1741651 18994 yummo 1 1893976 As I kid I liked violet candies and scented gum, but my friends thought I was really weird for liking sen sens. I don't understand salted licorice, which is especially popular in Scandinavia. I also don't like the salted dried mango they sell in Thailand. But I'm the kind who scrapes the salt off of pretzels. I love muscat & lychee gummies. The weirdest "candy" I ever had was caramelized black olive from China. I did not enjoy it. In India Halls cough drops are sold as penny candy. http://petercherches.blogspot.com Fri Sep 22 02:21:37 -0700 2006 1741651 10736 Peter Cherches 1 1896881 Double salted licorice. Is that 'oddball'? My friends certainly give me weird looks when I offer it. Sat Sep 23 13:59:01 -0700 2006 1741651 15482 NovoCuisine 1 2925066 We had Japanese people that would come and visit us when I was a kid, and they would bring this weird candy. They were sort of like those peppermint lozenges, only not peppermint; they were much drier and more powdery, and not very sweet at all. I could inhale a whole package of them without really trying. Mike likes "Mazapan" peanut candy we get at the Mexican grocery in Storm Lake. But my very favorite, which I guess a lot of people think is "oddball," is good, old-fashioned horehound. I have a fellow in my church who nearly always gets out a bag and passes it around. For some reason no matter how many people he passes it to, he and I are the only ones who ever take a piece. Sun Sep 09 16:33:34 -0700 2007 1741651 32586 revsharkie 1 2925633 some plum flavoured hard candy from japan. Its kinda sweet on the outside, but salty and gooey towards the middle...and there is a hint of shiso throughout - divine Sun Sep 09 20:33:46 -0700 2007 1741651 24546 bitsubeats 1 2925722 salted licorice all the way- preferably from sweden or denmark, but i'll take dutch or german if offered. Sun Sep 09 21:33:43 -0700 2007 1741651 102095 vvvindaloo 1 2925727 I like these chocolate filled marshmallows I buy at the Asian groceries. I believe they're a Japanese brand, and the marshmallows are individually wrapped disks, rather than the cylindrical poofs like Kraft's. The "chocolate" filling is more cocoa-ey than chocolate, but the flavor is sort of dusky and dark, and the contrast is pretty darned good. They're terribly expensive for such a small number of candies, and all that packaging, ay! I don't really think of them as oddball, but they are unusual in America, anyway. Sun Sep 09 21:35:23 -0700 2007 1741651 24126 amyzan 1 2926369 Polvoron: a.k.a. sweetned powdered milk discs. They're a specialty of the Philippines, one I can barely resist when I see the type with toasted rice or peanuts. There's also another candy of peanut butter and coconut that I cannot recall the name, nor have I had in nearly 6 years. But they are super addictive. Mon Sep 10 08:05:42 -0700 2007 1741651 68363 JungMann 1 2927805 I had a friend who lived in Australia for a year and sent me candy all the time so I love Polly Waffles (a tube of waffle cone filled with marshmallow then dipped in chocolate). Ohh yum, they're just wonderful. I also love Cherry Ripe. Coconutty raspberry in dark chocolate. Mon Sep 10 13:36:52 -0700 2007 1741651 89035 foodandscience