Retro: Candy and Mints

Hot Tamales

Hot Tamales
Cinnamon Hot

There were certain candy brands that I liked as a kid. One was Hot Tamales, which back in the 70’s, you could get a small box for a nickel. The bigger box was 15 cents. Chewy with a kick, I ate these on a regular basis. My mom was anti-sugar, so as with breakfast cereals, I had to eat these on the sly and away from home.

There were other types like Mike & Ike’s, which I did like, but not as much as the Hot Tamales. So it was very cool when I found this retro box at the store a few weeks back. Fortunately, the candy inside was fresh and tasty.

Certs Classic Fruit

Certs Classic Fruit
my favorite flavor, not available in the US

Also a nice memory from my early days as a child were Certs. My mom loved Certs, mostly the mint kind, but on occasion, she would get other flavors. One of those flavors was Classic Fruit. This is not to be confused with Assorted Fruit, which were different fruit flavors of the mints than Classic Fruit. The Classic Fruit was a white mint with little red sparkles in it. The taste was more like candy and it had a really nice.

After my teen years, I never was able to find these in the states. Then in October 1999, I visited Montreal, Canada and found them at a grocery store. I bought 30 rolls. If I knew of anyone traveling to Montreal, I would kindly ask them to bring back Classic Fruit Certs [this required some explanation about my love for a candy mint from my childhood]. Then many years later, (about 18 months ago) I was talking about my favorite Certs flavor on Twitter and a follower offered to send me some. And she did [which is the package pictured above]. So far, I’ve rationed them very well and may not need to find more for a few more months.

Any favorite candies or mints from your past that you liked? Are they still available or have they gone the way of the discontinued path?

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