From chocolates and hard candies to gummies and more, how could one possibly narrow down their favorite sweet to just one type or brand? With a variety of candy retailers on Long Island, sometimes people could use a little help if they find themselves perusing the aisles of stores like Bobb Howard’s (New Hyde Park), Sweet City Candy (Syosset), Sweeties Candy Cottage (Huntington) and Ralph Rotten’s Candy & Nut Shoppe (Centereach). Though choosing the best is never easy, certain treats will always be customer must-haves.
Chocolate
To some, chocolate is best in its simplest form, while others prefer the addition of salty and sweet elements like pretzels, caramel or nuts. Popular brands like Twix, Milky Way, Snickers and 3 Musketeers are just a few examples of such chocolatey medleys. Though all are irresistible to the common chocoholic, sometimes you can’t beat the classics and nothing is as classically satisfying as a Hershey’s chocolate bar, whether of the milk chocolate, dark chocolate or cookies and cream variety.
Hard candies
Moving across the spectrum of sweetness, next up is hard candies. Whether big, small, round or on a stick, these candies are the perfect choice for those who opt for taste that lasts. Jolly Ranchers, Runts, Life Savers and Gobstoppers have been crowd favorites for years, frequently finding themselves in the bags of trick-or-treaters, but the undeniable king of hard candies is Chupa Chups lollipops. Available in dozens of unique flavors and combinations including strawberries and cream, cola, cappuccino, root beer float, lemon lime and ice cream, there’s a sucker to satisfy any taste.
Gummy candies
For the active chewers out there, gummy candies, whether in the form of bear, worm, bottle or ring, reign supreme. Of these soft, sticky sweets, one brand swims straight to the heart: Swedish Fish. Originally developed in Sweden in the late 1950s, these fishies are most notable for their traditional red color but now also come in assorted packs with yellow, orange and green in the mix.
Nostalgia
When it comes to candy, some things never go out of style. Whether you’ve heard of them or not, oldies such as Charms, Ice Cubes, Bit-O-Honey, Chuckles and Charleston Chews are still on the market at certain shops. Topping the list of nostalgic confectioneries is Bonomo Turkish Taffy, available in banana, strawberry, chocolate and vanilla flavors. The stretched sweet treat is also a part of American history as one of the first forms of candy advertised on television, making its debut in 1949.
Though it’s not always easy, Halloween is all about sharing. The candies mentioned above are great when munched on alone, but even better when shared with friends, family and the neighborhood children knocking on doors on Halloween night.
