It’s that time again – National Candy Corn Day
[NOTE: This post is a slightly-edited repeat of a post from 2008.]
No, I didn’t make it up. It really is National Candy Corn Day, the day “the nation celebrates its favorite vegetable.”
No doubt all of my readers, being unusually well-informed people, were already aware of that. But did you know it is estimated that in this country thirty-five million pounds of the classic treat (invented in the 1880s) are sold every year? And by the way, my original post from 2008 had the number at twenty million, according to the same Wiki link, so the number had nearly doubled by 2016, the year of the most recent update at the site.
I personally might be responsible for approximately a ton of that if I gave in to my worst impulses. However, I keep my addiction in tightly-controlled check.
It is part of my penance to confess here that I really love the dreadful stuff and always have, and I’m far from alone (my impression is that candy corn is one of those things a person either loves or hates). Once I even went to a Halloween party dressed as a piece of candy corn, and believe me I was already a grownup. In fact, I’m planning to dress that way again this year. The first time I did it, no one guessed what I was supposed to be, although I thought it was obvious.
Apparently I am not the only adult who has dressed up as candy corn on Halloween. And no, I didn’t look like this—more’s the pity (although to be technical, isn’t she dressed as two pieces of candy corn, the body and the hat?):
I heard on Fox News (can’t give a link here because I was unable to find the information online) that candy corn is the Halloween treat most often stolen by parents from their kids’ Halloween stash. I believe this to be undeniably true. It is a guilty, shameful secret for most, but I am glad this is finally seeing the light of day.
There are various gourmet variations on candy corn, and I’ve sampled quite a few in my day. A helpful reader sent me some information about this Brach product for example, which includes:
Green Beans, Roasted Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, Stuffing, Apple Pie and Coffee. (Fans of Ginger Glazed Carrots, which were part of last year’s batch, should note that flavor is gone.)
I had tried the earlier version, and it was terrible. This sounds even worse. It’s the good old Brach’s original candy corn that I continue to crave; there is no other brand worth eating, and believe me I’ve tried many a substitute. The Brach’s version been sold out where I live for quite some time, but I purchased it early.
And here’s a burning question: do you eat your candy corn in sections? And, if so, do you consider the top to be the yellow part or the white part? I’ve always seen the little white triangle as the “foot” of the candy corn, but I learned when I designed my costume years ago that most people see it the other way. For those who might be inclined to disagree with me, I offer the following exhibit from the realm of science; the kernel grows with the tip – corresponding to the white part of the candy – down, embedded in the cob:
I don’t think we got a single visitor last year. We will buy candy just-in-case. We’ll get the stuff I like so the girls can have some help. Heath bars, Andes mints.
I had a brother who was ten years older than me, so we did not have much overlap in our respective childhoods.
I love candy corn, and it was always sort of a guilty pleasure for me. Years later, I noticed him surreptitiously eating some candy corn, and he confessed that he craved it just as much as I do. Over time I found out that we also shared a love of gingersnaps and black licorice, two more tastes that are very controversial. I think tastes like this must be genetic, at least to some degree.
If candy corn were music, how would the candy corn lover’s music sound? May I suggest like this: https://youtu.be/HlvNKc5pYrk
You can have my share, for sure.
I remember it as a staple for Thanksgiving snacking, however, when I was a kid. I don’t remember it appearing at Halloween until I was older.
sdferr, for some reason that musical piece makes me thing of York Peppermint Patties. I think of candy corn’s musical sound to be more like “Hello, goodby” by the Beatles: not much substance but catchy.
Apparently people have come up with recipes to make homemade candy corn. This person built upon one that Alton Brown came up with, switching out corn syrup for honey.
If, as a Peppermint Pattie lover, Imma go with a bit more pizzazz: https://youtu.be/5rfle8wSwJM
Hideous tasting, vile stuff.
I’m pretty sure, when you go trick or treating in hell every house gives out candy corn.
My first memory of candy corn is from the drive from my Midwest grandparents back to New England. My grandmother packed some candy corn in our lunches.
I liked it, but I can’t remember if as an adult I have eaten candy corn or not.
I tried linking to the youtube that sdferr referred to but got annoyed at the Google requirement that I go through the “I am not a robot” rigamarole. IMHO, Google has gotten more annoying in recent months. A blog where I have commented for nearly 2 decades is on a Google platform. For the last 2-3 months, my comments have not been allowed. For a while I could bypass that by commenting as “anonymous.” but not any more. I tried leaving my VPN, but that didn’t work. No wonder that when I get snail mail from Google inviting me to use Google fiber, I decline their offer. (No, I do not have Gmail.)
We were required to give away all but some small amount (10 or 20 pieces) of our haul (and also to collect for UNICEF, sigh). I was always a chocolate lover, so candy corn went to the give-away pile.
I don’t care that much for candy corn by itself, but when mixed with salted peanuts, I find to be my own personal equivalent to crack.
I’m a reformed candy corn addict. It’s very addictive for me. I love it but avoid it because I always overindulge. 🙁
Interesting how much the cross-section of a corn kernel reminds me of that of a tooth, like you see in a dentist’s office.
I dearly love candy corn (only Brach’s will do!), but have gotten so I can’t eat the very-sweet candy favorites of my past (York peppermint patties, among others; also my southern favorite, peanut patties).
Mild chocolate is no good to me any more either: it has to be dark, although not as bitter as AesopSpouse prefers. Oddly, though, it’s not the higher sugar content but the saltiness of the mild version that I find (now) distasteful.
I’ll probably get a little bag of the faux-kernels anyway.