A classic candy, Wonka’s SweeTarts are a tangy fruit tablet originated in 1963. Somewhere between sweet and sour, these rainbow candies come in the color-coordinated flavors of orange, blue punch, lemon, green apple, cherry and grape. Mmmm. This is the type of candy you might see being thrown out of parade floats, or the kind you’d run across in goody bags or pick up while trick-or-treating. The reason? It’s affordable, comes in mini packs of three, and it has candy durability (read: it doesn’t melt like chocolate or get crunched up like cheap o lollipops). But the three-pack singles are just one member of the family. You can also buy SweeTarts in larger packages of the regular, giant, gummy or chewy varieties. Color-changing SweeTarts and the giant chewy rope are the newest innovations from the makers of this delightful sweet and sour treat. But the original tarts, large or small, are the bestsellers by far. Holidays like Easter and Christmas have brought SweeTarts in candy cane or jellybean form for increased sales and exposure in a competitive candy market.

I’ve found that there’s nothing better than opening up one of these little three-packs and seeing two of my favorite flavors duplicated in the pack (cherry and/or grape tingle my taste buds). But then again, the opposite feelings arise when I find I’m doubled-up on a lemon or green apple, a flavor ratio that leaves something to be desired. I’m obviously not the only fan of these candies, because they’ve been a bestseller for decades. Parents prefer giving these treats to their little ones as opposed to the messier Pixy Stix or Lik-M-Aid powders based off a similar recipe. Whether or not you are inclined to buy these candies, one thing is for certain: the candy market would have a huge whole in it without them…a SweeTart-shaped hole. If you haven’t tried SweeTarts in awhile, your taste buds haven’t partied. So return to your days of yesteryear and pop in a few of these classic tangy candies.