Do You Remember this Popular Discontinued Wonka Candy?
Do yall remember this gas station delicacy that was a giant slab of Laffy Taffy, watermelon flavored with crunchy candy seeds? It was super popular in the late 90s, early 2000s. I was reminded recently how much I LOVED these.
I grew up in the Town and Country area behind Texas Gas and would ride my bike down to the CJs gas station on Frederica. Sometimes with friends, but I'm an only child, so I never mind flying solo. On those occasions, I would lock my purple iridescent bike up and head inside for some pre-teen self-care.
The first stop was the Icee machine for a frozen treat. Flavor depended on the mood of the day, but then I would beeline to the candy aisle for the best convenience store candy known to man. The king-size watermelon-flavored Laffy Taffy WITH SEEDS. It was tangy, sweet, chewy, crunchy, mmmm the perfect combination. I'd grab a tabloid magazine about JonBenet or something I wasn't supposed to read about, sit down and have a little "me moment." I'm pretty sure it's how my love for true crime started!
Obviously, this experience made a core memory in my brain. Lots of amazing candies can send us back in time, candy cigarettes, big chew gum, Butterfinger BBs, if only they weren't discontinued!
What Happened to Watermelon Laffy Taffy?
Laffy Taffy still exists in watermelon flavor, however, the version I remember was discontinued. From what I could find, the reason was that they couldn't figure out how to keep the sugar seeds from breaking into smaller bits. Consumers were complaining of "dirt" in the candy. Come on people! So they just decided to skip the seeds and stopped adding them.
Bring Back Watermelon Laffy Taffy With Seeds!
I did discover an online campaign to bring them back! A petition named "Put the seeds back in watermelon Laffy Taffy" was started back in 2019 and reached almost 3,500 signatures! I also found a couple of Facebook groups and posts from individuals reminiscing upon this glorious chewy treat.
Chances are Mr. Wonka will not hear our plea, but I definitely added my name to the list of folks who want to bring back the goodness. I also found where you can buy the sugar seeds online. So, I guess if I got really desperate, I could get a bag, and add them to the seedless Laffy Taffy you can still find in stores. There was also another special Laffy Taffy I remember that still exists. Sparkle Cherry has colorful sugar sprinkles mixed into the tangy taffy. There is just something amazingly nostalgic about that combination.
Do you remember this discontinued candy masterpiece? Do you think it should make a comeback? What are some other candies of yesteryear that you wish would be made again?