Daily Dirt: Dove, Mr. Goodbar and Starburst the best of the rest? 

Daily Dirt for Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023

Today’s most fascinating note, at least to me, might involve Hershey’s Kisses. Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 511 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Dozens of candy bars are on the shelves of local supermarkets to choose from when you have a hankering for a hunk of chocolate or something similarly sweet. It’s easy to walk in to Hy-Vee or County Market and grab a Hershey’s bar, Three Musketeers or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (which, of course, are coated in milk chocolate).

But what if you want something a little different? Still chocolatey and/or sweet, but maybe something a bit off the radar? 

If you’re a basketball fan, look at the Hershey’s, Reese’s and similar brands as the elite NCAA Division I teams like Duke, Kentucky and Kansas. There are days, however, when you also enjoy some Division II or NAIA basketball. When those times arrive, and you’re talking sweets, I suggest the following sleepers that also are pretty good:

1. Dove: The Dove Bars as a whole, plus the bags of individual pieces, are overlooked or ignored by many because the price is a bit higher than many of the mainstream confections. These little darlings are worth a few cents more. Allowing them to simply melt in your mouth is one of life’s true treasures. Fun fact: The Dove candies actually evolved from Dove Ice Cream and not vice versa. Year invented: 1984.

2. Mr. Goodbar: Highly underrated and often overlooked. The chocolate bar houses scrumptious pieces of peanuts. Mr. Goodbar is the equivalent to that No. 70-ranked team that just misses the NCAA Tournament. Year invented: 1925.

3. Starburst: The only drawback is you have to unwrap each individual burst of flavor. Starburst and No. 4 Skittles are arguably the top non-chocolate options on this list. Fun fact: Starburst was originally called Opal Fruits. Year invented: 1960.

4. Skittles: Don’t be confused when you see Skittles for the first time. Although the colorful candies resemble M&Ms in size and color, the similarities end there. M&Ms have the chocolate centers, while Skittles are chocolate-free. Skittles are acceptable for both vegetarians and vegans. Year invented: 1974.

5. Rolo: Creamy caramel covered in chocolate. No one can eat just one of these gems, which come 10 to a roll. Year invented: 1937.

6. PEZ: The Connecticut company that produces these little dandies churn out billions each year. Typical flavors for the American market include cherry, lemon, orange, strawberry and raspberry. Year invented: 1927.

7. Chunky: It’s difficult, at times, to even find these little blocks of chocolate. If you are successful, the journey will have been worth it. Fun fact: The original shapes of the Chunky bars resembled a pyramid. Year invented: 1930. 

8. Milk Duds: Dentists love this candy for all the fillings those duds have pulled out over the years. Year invented: 1928.

9. Raisinets: Raisinets are more or less the first cousin of Milk Duds, only easier on the teeth. Give the inclusion of raisins credit for that. Year invented: 1927.

10. Whoppers: A malted-milk center and chocolate coating. If there is a perfect snack to buy at the movies, this might be it. Year invented: 1939.

2. Keeping with the candy theme, here is a startling statistic. The Hershey Company produces 70 million Hershey’s Kisses daily. For the record, the Kisses debuted in 1907, seven years after the initial Hershey’s candy bar.

3. Closing the door on today’s tribute to sweets, Good & Plenty is believed to be the oldest candy brand in the United States. The pink-and-white capsule-shaped chewy licorice was first produced in 1893 in Philadelphia.

Steve Thought O’ The Day
I hate licorice.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Does a candy bar exist that Steve hasn’t tried?