The reviled Halloween treat, which has deep roots in American history, should have a better rep
and gradually making candy corn a treat that Americans thought of at Halloween, and only Halloween. Today, the two major candy corn manufacturers — Jelly Belly and Brach’s Candy — use largely the same recipe Wunderle did back in the day .
The main difference is that the laborious hand-pouring process has beenof candy corn: According to the National Confectioners’ Association, American companies produce 35 million pounds, or 9 billion kernels, annually.showed that only 12 percent of Americans think of candy corn as their favorite treat . Each year, the argument against candy corn seems to spawn a new internet meme,, which extols “serving it directly in the trash, since that’s where it’ll end up anyway.” With all the candy corn produced, and the apparent universal disdain for it, something doesn’t add up. One of two things is true: either people are lying about their candy corn opinions, or tons of candy corn gets thrown out each year. Both options are tragic. The first means that people are hiding their love of candy corn out of societally imposed shame, like when I pretended I thought was stupid even though I cried through the whole last third . The second means that pounds of delicious treats are winding up in the garbage. Fortunately, both can be fixed with one simple solution: a nationwide embrace of the true deliciousness of candy corn. The notion that candy corn tastes bad is a lie. It’s just not true. Though the primary ingredient is sugar, candy corn’s flavor transcends cloying sweetness, becoming something richer and more nuanced: There’s a nuttiness reminiscent of marzipan, hints of warm vanilla, a buttery flavor belied by the fact that candy corn is, as bags proudly proclaim, a fat-free candy. Then there’s the texture, something a lot of people cite as their grievance with candy corn. During candy corn production, the sugar crystallizes, giving the kernels a short texture: that means they’re not too chewy, and just a bit crumbly, while holding their shape enough to give a good tooth-sink. This short texture resembles ear wax, or a candle , only insofar as it has a slightly waxy exterior, created by the confectioner’s wax that gives candy corn its cheerful sheen. But regardless, critics should beware the logical extension of dismissing a food because its texture resembles something else: Do we hate mochi because it has the texture of a rubber ball? Do we revile yogurt because it’s the texture of body lotion? Do we recoil at flourless chocolate cake because it shares a texture with human waste? Leave your texture arguments at the door, please. They’re invalid. Candy corn also has an evocative aspect, like Proust’s madeleine. It’s one of the few foods truly associated with only one time of year . Because of this, a bite of candy corn conjures this specific seasonal moment: the anticipatory energy of October, the cozy turning inward of mid-fall. A bite of a Butterfinger makes you remember only that you need to buy more floss. But I’m not here to denigrate other candies. Other candies are great! Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are the greatest candy ever made, Snickers truly do satisfy, and even tooth-destroying Butterfingers hold a unique place in my heart. My love for candy corn doesn’t make me an antagonist to America’s most popular treats — and the assumption that it would is at the root of America’s abandonment of candy corn, and, dare I say, many other problems we face today: We seem to have forgotten that we can like one thing without hating another. Candy corn doesn’t need to be your favorite candy, or even in the top three. But, for your own taste buds, for America’s candy history, to rebut societally imposed candy opinions and reject today’s polarization and vitriol, you should enjoy at least a few kernels. Candy corn tastes great. If you think otherwise, your opinion is wrong. Kate Willsky is a Brooklyn-based writer and candy corn enthusiast whose writing has appeared in Vice, Food52, and Liquor.com, among other publications.The freshest news from the food world every day
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