The 110 Essential Candies for Candivores

I grew up on Dulce de Leche...we ate it with a spoon!

There was also dulce de batata

and dulce de membrillo

...while these aren't candy...

My new favorites are Hershey Nuggets(milk chocolate) which were omitted from the list.
Although some disparage American chocolate, the nugget is a quality product.

Panzade? I have a deal! I send you a pint or two of Haagen Daaz Dulce de Leche ice cream....

and you send me one of each of the above desserts. Sound good?

I'm on it boss..

Me too - I've only found them once, the chalky pellet kind. Kicking self for actually being in Parma at a cafe/cioccolatieria (a word?) place and not getting cioccolatini with violet filling.

List of preferences to follow (this will be fun)

(skipping things I never heard of.. or never tried, or tried and say, eh, or don't hate enough to mention) Mostly all I ever eat, and not that often, is #1.

1. 70%+ Cacao Chocolate - favorite
4. American-Style Hard Toffee: With or without chocolate, with or without nuts. - Sure.
10. C.Howard Violet Gum/Mints or Parma Violets - Yes!
13. Candy Corn / Mellocremes - I may have finally outgrown these.
18. Chocolate Covered Cherry Cordial - From a good candy store, yes.
19. Chocolate Covered Dried Fruit (Raisins, Orange Peel, Apricot, Ginger, Fig)
Have only tried raisinets (ok).. might like it with dried fig
20. Chocolate Covered Espresso Bean - ok
22. Chocolate from at least 5 different countries
italian chocolates are a sentimental fondness, but I'm not sure how great the big companies are anymore.
23. Chocolate Fudge
I'm picky about fudge. Most of it is too sweet with relatively icky chocolate.
24. Chocolate Truffle
Often too much of a much, but I liked the ones the old Sjaak's used to make before they went all vegan
25. Chupa Chups - Haven't tried. Would probably like them.
28. Coconut Bar: (Brand Names: Mounds, Almond Joy, Bounty)
Old favorite, but I'd prefer a small piece of chocolate covered coconut center from a good chocolatier
37. Gianduia (Gianduja): (Brand Names: Caffarel, Ferrero (Nutella) - Nutella!!!!
40. Green Tea Candy - Trader Joe's has some little green tea pellet candies.. liked those
42. Halvah - Don't have it often, like it
49. Jordan Almonds: (Also called Sugared Almonds or Confetti) - Like them
54. Licorice Pastels: (Varieties: Good & Plenty or Skoolkrijt) - Gack.
57. Malted Milk Balls - I try never to buy these, because I like them.
58. Maple Sugar Candy - Haven't had it in years, used to love it. Prefer pralines.
60. Mars Snickers: (Alternate versions come in Dark and Limited Edition varieties.) +/-
70. Necco Wafers: (Maker: Necco) -Sentimental favorite
72. Nougat & Nut Roll: (Brand Names: Hershey’s Payday or Pearson’s Nut Roll) - Keep me away from these
73. Nougat de Montelimar or Torrone: (Brand Names: Arnaud Soubeyran, Nutpatch Nougats) - and these
77. Peanut Butter Crisp: (Brand Names: Butterfinger, 5th Avenue, Clark Bar, Chick-O-Stick, Zagnut) - Used to like those
78. Peanut Butter Molasses Chews: (Brand Name: Mary Janes, Peanut Butter Kisses, Abba Zaba) - Used to like Abba Zbba
79. Pecan Pralines: (New Orleans Style & Texas Chewy)
Love 'em. Learned to make them back in the Girl Scouts
80. Peppermint Pattie: (Brand Names: York, Pearson’s, Junior Mints, Dutch Mints, Holland Mints.) - Used to like
86. Red Licorice - Used to like
87. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: (Brand Name: Hershey’s) - Used to love 'em
88. Ribbon Candy and/or Old Fashioned Candy Sticks - Memories of an aunt's house a large jar full of the ribbon ones. (Only a visual memory)
91. Salt Water Taffy - Nice once every fifteen years
106. White Chocolate - I remain to be convinced

87. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: (Brand Name: Hershey’s)
Yum!

88. Ribbon Candy and/or Old Fashioned Candy Sticks
(Also related, the Candy Cane.)
Candy canes are my second biggest seasonal addiction. Second only to Peeps.

89. Rock Candy or Konpeito:
Always an anticlimatic let down.

90. Root Beer Barrels:
Never as good as the actual soda.

91. Salt Water Taffy
I used to adore such yummy delights from Portsmouth, New Hampshire when I went on vacation to my great Aunt Ruthy's house ever summer while growing up.

92. Salted Caramel
Caramel with a liberal dash of salt.:
I haven't tried it. But it's hit the height as a celebrity candy/gourmet trend here in NYC these past couple of years.

100. Swedish Fish
Just plain meh!

101. SweeTarts or other sour Compressed Dextrose
Mmm! The greater the sour flavor the better!

103. Tootsie Pop:
I really don't like lollipops with anything inside them, gum or tootsie roll!

106. White Chocolate
I'm addicted to this White Gold!!

The only candy I'm really crazy for is See's Candy cafe latte lollypops.

Are they light and sweet or on the dark and bitter side of the coffee spectrum?

They taste exactly how I like my coffee - brewed strong with lots and lots of milk.

They aren't sweet at all.

You east coasters have probably never had the divine experience of entering a See's candy store. The candy professionals in their starched white uniforms who hand over free candy while they box your order. It's like wandering into the 1940s. The trip alone is a lovely little treat.

Right - I've heard about it - think I remember ehBeth likes it, and she's discerning.

See's - I was raised on See's, at 13th and Wilshire, Santa Monica... Giving a box of some special See's mix was a big deal for holidays.
sigh.
I liked the old Sjaak's in Eureka better, but the sentiment is to See's.

At the 2004 SFrancisco a2k get together, a bunch of us wandered into See's.. I think it was CI, PDiddie and Mrs. PDiddie, myself and maybe one more person.

I haven't have the pleasure of the See experience. But I have heard Leo Laporte, tech guru and media mogul from San Francisco give them a name drop.

Ok, now I want to try those..

Phooey!!

don't forget canadian maple ( syrup ) candy

See's has an online store:

http://www.sees.com/

I don't forget them, I liked them..
expensive little buggers, though.
In any case, not easily available here.
I have looked up recipes for making them, once upon a time, when I had invested in a nice big jar of real maple syrup and found I wasn't using it much.

Uh oh.

Yeah, I spotted those too. They look more like what I've seen in Irish cow pastures.