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 Charms Fluffy Stuff cotton candy |
A walk through a neighborhood convenience store always turns up some oddities in the candy aisle. Two favorite finds are Charms Fluffy Stuff cotton candy ($1.19) and Hershey's Candy Bar Factory ($2.30). The cotton candy is decidedly low tech, a throwback to pre-Pop Rock days, and the Candy Bar Factory is a very contemporary treat, offering all things to all children. The chocolate bar has four wells in which to heap peanut butter filling, sprinkles, white frosting or cookie bits. Our guess is it is a brave soul who can finish the cotton candy, which looks like bite-size globs of insulation, and that every bit of the candy factory ingredients will get eaten.
 Hershey’s Candy Bar Factory |
be safe
Candy tampering is rare, but to be safe, always inspect your child's candy before allowing her to eat the treats she will gather door-to-door tonight. Discard anything that looks suspicious, and that means goodies that are unwrapped, already open or homemade. It's also a good idea to accompany your children and to only let them trick-or-treat in familiar neighborhoods.
candy's bad rap
Candy isn't the only food that causes tooth decay. Raisins and peanut butter can be just as bad. Bacteria is fed by carbohydrates, so all carbohydrate-rich foods that stick to teeth, whether licorice or raisins, can cause cavities. Candy probably gets the worst rap because it doesn't offer much nutrition. The keys to tooth decay prevention, of course, are moderation and brushing, brushing, brushing.
jujube lore
The best thing you can say about Jujubes, those tiny multicolored candies that make jelly beans seem wimpy, is that they last almost as long as any movie. The candy's fun-to-say name traces back to the mild jujube fruit (Ziziphus jujuba), cultivated in China for more than 4,000 years. At one time, people used jujube fruit to remedy sore throats and coughs, especially in Britain. While the candy's name is pronounced "JOO-joo-bee," the correct way to say the fruit is "joo-JOO-bee."
Know your candy bars
Answers from quiz above:
A. 6., Mounds; B. 10., PayDay; C. 11., Butterfinger; D. 3., Whatchamacallit, ; E. 9., 5th Avenue; F. 1, Milky Way; G. 8., Zagnut; H. 2., Snickers; I. 5., Mars; J. 4., 3 Musketeers; K. 7., Baby Ruth.
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CANDY KING: 9 to 11 correct. You must be your dentist's best patient, or at least most frequent visitor. Woe betide the person who tries to pass off a Snickers as a Mars bar to you.
SEMI-SWEET: 6 to 8 correct. You like chocolate, it just doesn't rule your life. Keep sampling. Your taste buds will thank you even if your waistline doesn't.
BITTER, BABY: 5 or fewer correct. We're guessing you don't have a TV, have never been in a 7-Eleven and were born a full-grown adult. C'mon, cut loose and live a little.
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111
From the Times Taste section
From the features wire
