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Old time candy elicits fond memories anytime you see it. The bright colors and distinctive shapes harkens back to a simpler time and place. Often housed in ornate cut glass dishes, the candy was sometimes accessible and sometimes just for show. There was a distinctive clink any time the lid was removed from the dish. It was almost as though by design that no matter how stealthy you tried to be, the dish would always alert grandma to your deed. Old time candy had one very important ingredient in common, sugar. Hard, soft, minty, or sweet, the tasty morsels always gave off that satisfactory burst of sugary goodness. Christmas time was especially conducive to displays of festively colored candy. Ribbons of green, red, and white appeared throughout the home. Candy was not limited to just the hard candy type. Chocolate covered everything ruled the day. One of the most delightfully mysterious was Angel Food candy. The chocolate enveloped a foamy sweet interior made of an unknown substance that even though hard, somehow still had the properties of being able to melt in your mouth in seconds. Some of these candies only appeared during the holidays, and others seem to keep the dish full between special occasions. Of course, candy corn made its appearance around Halloween. Grandmas were not the only ones to have their supply of candies. Grandpas were also known to have their own stash of candies that only they and the inquisitive grandchild knew of its existence. Grandpa's candies were heartier in flavor, like black licorice. Maybe it was because of a taste preference, or maybe it was a way to keep the youngsters from eating all of it on their visits. Tastes in candy have evolved a bit over the years. Most now are sweet or sour. Some of the more traditional candies had their share of sugar but were often flavored with spices. One of the most popular was cinnamon. The candy was designed to tickle the taste buds and provide a long lasting and lingering flavor to curb the appetite, or provide a tasty diversion between meals. Other adult selections included anise and coffee flavoring. Designed more for the adult sensibilities, these candies provided a potent flavor experience that took a more sophisticated palate to appreciate. The range of traditional candy flavors has contracted over the years focusing on simple sweet and sour. There is also much less variety in size and texture in today's offerings. It is quite remarkable in that as markets develop, the range of choice usually expands rather than contracts. This is especially true in distribution chains that operate as efficiently as those that deal in the delivery of food. It is also true in low cost item offerings that manufacturers can invest in with low risk. Add to these factors that there is little peer pressure in the type of candy one consumes; it makes the limiting of options even more perplexing. The only possible explanation has to be the cost of marketing. Advertising can be very expensive, especially network television advertising. Companies do have to sell an inordinate amount of units to cover the costs. With the availability to access all types of products on the internet, marketing traditional candies lends itself well to the new technology. It is ironic that the most advanced informational technology may be the best way to access the old time candy that you enjoyed in your grandmother's house that may not have had a television set. As a writer, Sandy Winslow likes to share ideas keeping family memories alive. Everyone's grandma had a dish of old time candy stashed somewhere.
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