We all know what candy and candy bars we like.Well, what candy don't you like? Mine is black licorice. How about you?

[debm55]

[dhol82]

1. Red licorice

The kind they sell wrapped in plastic in movie theaters. My friend loves it. To me, they just taste like plastic food. Sad.

[debm55]

3. That's funny, dhol82, because I like the red.

Last edited Sat Aug 9, 2025, 07:34 PM - Edit history (1)

[ProfessorGAC]

121. Funny Story

Early in my career, I had a project with our flavors & fragrances division to find an efficient synthesis of the linalool that makes strawberry smell the one they do & impart of good chunk of the flavor.
When the made the first 500 gallon run, I went to the site. I was there 3 days & the smell of strawberry flavoring became so objectionable that I wouldn't eat red licorice for over a year.
And, I lije red licorice!

[debm55]

122. Thank you ProfessorGAC. That is very funny. Did the taste for strawberries come back?

[ProfessorGAC]

127. It Did

Mostly for the fruit itself.
Not so much strawberry flavor stuff.
Had a similar experience with trying to use a countercurrent flow column to extract the diacetyl & acetone from butter. They are the principal components that make butter taste like butter.
We were looking for a way to improve throughput over a batch process for Mrs. Butterworth syrup.
After a couple weeks of working on that, I didn't want to go to a theater because that butter smell was nauseating.
Got over that, too.

[dhol82]

136. Ah, so it's supposed to taste like strawberry!

I think all the movie theater red licorice must be stale. To me they all taste like waxy plastic strips.
Never realized it was supposed to taste like a fruit. Could have fooled me every time.

[debm55]

137. HAHAHAHAHHAHA. I thought my whole life , it was cherry.

[ProfessorGAC]

139. Same With Black...

...licorice is way better closer to its make date.
Gets really stiff by losing moisture. Even though the bag is sealed, there is dry air on there upon packaging.
Doesn't take much water loss to turn it into rubber bands.
Don't know about theaters, but the Twizzlers we can buy at the supermarket are generally pretty pleasantly chewy.
But, 3 days after opening they are like extension cords.
I put them in a zip-lock with a couple drops of water.
Helps a lot.
As to the "taste like strawberry", they use linalool, but that's only around 80% of the flavor of strawberries. The other 20% is made up of another 40 or 50 compounds. That's why it's so hard to synthetically get strawberry flavor.
Lots if fruits are that way. Cheaper to just squeeze the juice out of the fruit than to do it by synthesis.

[FalloutShelter]

2. Peeps...

Really anything with marshmallow.

[Thunderbeast]

37. I roast peeps over an open fire.

The browned sugar coating tastes like creme brulee!

WARNING! Under NO circumstances should you do this with chocolate peeps. The result can be confused with the contents of your cat's litter box!

[FalloutShelter]

41. LOL

[Danascot]

159. There's a song in there somewhere.

nt

[Thunderbeast]

162. Maybe Robert Earl Keen can write it...

[debm55]

44. Agree, too sweet. yuk

[MichMan]

86. I love Peeps

Rarely buy them as I'll eat the whole box

[SheltieLover]

4. Junk that's not chocolate or caramel

Lol

[hlthe2b]

6. We really are on the same wavelength! LOL

[SheltieLover]

9. Hahaha!

If I'm going to eat sugar, it's got to be really good.

[debm55]

45. So true, SheltieLover.

[hlthe2b]

5. Anything without Chocolate!

(I mean, what's the point?...)

[debm55]

46. Yes, must have chocolate.

[JoseBalow]

7. This stuff is terrible

[MIButterfly]

17. I've never heard of that one. Is it a local thing?

It doesn't even sound good.

[JoseBalow]

18. I don't think it's local, they've been around all over for years

I just think the demand is low because of how awful they are.

Dave Chappelle eats one in Half Baked, and it looks as bad as it tastes!

(0:37)

[k55f5r]

35. Put it in the freezer for an hour then smack it on the countertop

Little pieces are easier to eat. Same with a Big Hunk bar.

[JoseBalow]

38. I haven't tried that

Does it improve the flavor?

Big Hunk bar

Never heard of 'em.

[debm55]

47. What's that?

[JoseBalow]

61. It's an Abba-Zaba, which translates to "Garbage Goo From Hell"

[debm55]

49. It looks terrible. Have you taste it, JoseBalow?

[JoseBalow]

60. I tried it in my foolish, reckless youth... it's awful!

It's truly as bad as it looks.

[stopdiggin]

8. almond bark

candy corn ...
and, while I don't actually wretch and gag ... Aren't Skittles and Gummys about the most overrated things you've ever encountered?


And incidentally - has anyone seen a real Pixy Stix in the wild, in the last - 60 years ? I remember them as a major food group during a certain portion of my youth ...

[debm55]

50. I remember pixy stick. They stunk. as did candy corn.

[doc03]

10. Bit o Honey

[debm55]

94. Agree. too sweet for me. But I thought it would have a honey taste. which it didn;t.

[msongs]

11. is payday still around? sorta the poor man's snickers lol nt

[Polly Hennessey]

13. Payday was my favorite as a kid- overload on peanuts and sugar.

[Polly Hennessey]

12. Kit Kat - only candy bar I don't like.

I’ve tried but one bite and I throw the rest in the trash. I don’t know why. I’ll even eat a 🐥 Peeps before I eat a Kit Kat.

[Diamond_Dog]

103. Give the rest of your Kit Kat to me!

[debm55]

106. Me too,

[debm55]

108. I trade my Payday for your KitKat

[LisaM]

151. Agree; I can't stand Kit Kats.

Tastes like chocolate dust.

[Laffy Kat]

14. Anything gummy (gummie?) related.

I can't stand the texture; reminds me of plastic or rubber.

[debm55]

123. Agree. thanks Laffy Kat. And it does have the texture of rubber.

[MIButterfly]

15. I know this will be unpopular but I don't like Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

I like chocolate and I like peanut butter, but for some reason, I don't like chocolate and peanut butter together. Go figure.

Also, candy corn. Who came up with that one?

[LoisB]

27. Not unpopular with me; I DETEST Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

[Freddie]

28. Me too!

Not a huge peanut butter fan. Although the Take 5 bar (chocolate, PB, caramel, pretzels) is awesome if you like sweet & salty.

[debm55]

124. Say what???????

[no_hypocrisy]

16. Necco Wafers

?v=1697164105

[JoseBalow]

21. They're still better than Bottle Caps!

[no_hypocrisy]

24. Semi-concession

They both suck (literally and figuratively).

[JoseBalow]

25. True! And don't forget their bastardized little relatives

These things are like Sweet Tarts without the good part

[electric_blue68]

57. Oh that's Funny....

"And don't forget their bastardized little relatives.".

😄😄😄

Such a snarky description! Now, I've never even heard of those!

But I do love Sweet Tarts!

[debm55]

118. I like Smarties,

[KitFox]

59. I agree with you! The green ones taste like soap probably tastes.

[MichMan]

84. Love them other than the black licorice ones

Those go in the trash

[debm55]

117. Same here MichMan.

[debm55]

119. I liked those.except the black ones.---Thought they were black licorice flavor.

[Bluestocking]

19. Any candy with peanut butter

[debm55]

116. Thank you very much, Bluestocking for sharing.

[TommieMommy]

20. Black licorice, black jelly beans 👎

[electric_blue68]

56. See my #55 reply You'll get a knowing laugh, I think

[Nittersing]

64. In an office I used to frequent

One of the clerks kept a bowl of jelly beans on her desk. It became a bit of a joke with her co-workers to guess which visitor would LOVE the black ones and which would HATE them. She said there was very little middle ground.

[debm55]

113. Thank you Nittersing. I would avoid the black jelly beans at all cost. If that was all that was left. I would pass.

[debm55]

115. Agree with you TommieMommy.

[Diamond_Dog]

22. I agree with you Deb about black licorice

Circus peanuts. Those orange things that feel like styrofoam in your mouth.
Not fond of black jelly beans.
Anything gummy or Skittles is way overrated as the above poster stated. Also agree about the Necco wafers they’re like eating plaster.
Good and Plenty.

[electric_blue68]

58. So these ...Circus Peanuts... besidss the terrible texture; do they have a taste?

[debm55]

100. Not that I know of. They were orange, but to my taste buds had no orange taste.

[rsdsharp]

130. I always associate the taste with acetone, but that may be because of the smell.

[electric_blue68]

132. Woah.

I used acetone in some ? artistic process in Art College. Oh, maybe for cleaning something ip

[rsdsharp]

133. Nail polish remover.

[electric_blue68]

134. Oh, yeahhhh. Been a long time. But sure I also used for certain

clean upstairs in Art clCollege, too. 👍

[debm55]

101. Agree totally with you list, Diamond_Dog. Also add to it that terrible hard Christmas candy that came in a tin. Yuk,

[Diamond_Dog]

102. My Grandma sometimes brought over a tin of "ribbon candy" at Christmas

No taste at all and it all stuck together.

[debm55]

111. Me too. I hated it when the school would give each kid a tin of that gross candy. Young mind thought to myself--is this

a gift. --it's gross. I put it on the kitchen table and the others ate.

[CrispyQ]

23. Circus peanuts.

Those big orange peanut shaped blobs of packing foam. Peeps are close second.

[debm55]

99. Agree with you there. Also add candy corn into the group of terrible candy.

[CrispyQ]

104. For you, Deb.

[debm55]

110. HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA. Thank you CrispyQ

[yourout]

26. Anyone remember marathon bars grooming up?

Man they were good.

?si=Zna1ASoLD58gG-qd

[sinkingfeeling]

39. I remember at least 6 of those. I honestly thought O'Henry bars were still made.

[debm55]

97. Some of those were just bad, that's why they disappeared.

[debm55]

98. I didn't remember a lot of those. Except maybe 3 of the whole group.

[alittlelark]

29. Anything with nuts

Allergic

[debm55]

96. Buy all means avoid.

[Freddie]

30. Those sour things and gummy bears

My kids and grandkids love them. Yuck.

[debm55]

95. I tried gummy bears. They were a blob of sugar. Did not like.

[Diamond_Dog]

112. Like eating a piece of rubber. How does anyone like that gross stuff!

[enough]

31. Skittles

[debm55]

87. Agree, I don't think I ever had any Skittles. Were they that bad?

[gay texan]

32. Ill take your B.L. n/t

[debm55]

85. Sure , gay texan, take all you want. HAHAHAHHAHAH

[gay texan]

33. I HATE "mounds" or anything coconut n/t

[debm55]

82. I agree, gay texan. I did not like the coconut bars with just chocolate covering them. It didn't seem right, like

something was lacking.

[sinkingfeeling]

34. Any colored licorice. But I would never call it candy.

[debm55]

79. Thank you sinkingfeeling, for your honest feelings. I like that.

[Thunderbeast]

36. Black licorice is food from the gods...........

[debm55]

78. We each have our likes and dislikes. One of my dislikes is black licorice. I could not stand the after taste. of it,

Thank you Thunderbeast.

[pansypoo53219]

40. DITTO DITTO DITTO.

love paydays, tho wish peanuts roasted more. not big on 3 musketeers.

just gimme the lindt white choc/peppermint truffles.

[debm55]

77. Thank you pansypoo53219. I didn't like paydays. But I did like 3 musketeers bars.

[LogDog75]

42. Walnuttoes

They made me gag.

[debm55]

76. I don't remember them in our area. Might have been regional and bad. Thank you LogDog75.

[sestina]

43. Circus Peanuts

and Butterfinger

[debm55]

75. Agree. sestona. Circus Peanuts are terrible---tasteless and bland.Butterfinger, I could take or leave. Thank you

[subterranean]

90. I loved Butterfinger when I was a child. Now I dislike it.

I don't know if they changed the recipe or my taste buds changed, or both, but now I find it cloyingly sweet.

[debm55]

93. Same here, subterranean, I would always buy them as a kid . Now too sweet.

[sestina]

107. And Butterfingers are too hard

and they stick to the teeth. It makes me think of tooth decay and dental appointments!

[debm55]

125. So true, so true. Thanks sestina.

[Ziggysmom]

48. Dunno why, but I do not like Jolly Ranchers at all.

Love me some good European chocolate

[debm55]

74. Thank you Ziggysmom. I never saw the attachment to them either.

[boonecreek]

51. Anything with coconut.

Almond Joy or Mounds.

[debm55]

73. Thank you very much, boonecreek. I did like the Almond joy but not the plain coconut bars.

[SaveOurDemocracy]

52. I always hated Good & Plenty

[debm55]

72. yep same here. SaveOurDemocracy. Terrible.Candy coated black licorice. Yuck

[jgo]

53. Bubble Gum-flavored jelly beans - Jelly Belly

[debm55]

71. I agree, jgo. It's not natural. Thank you.

[Ilsa]

54. I can't stand licorice. I don't care what color it is. nt

[debm55]

70. thank you llsa, I like the cherry flavored. I can't stand the black licorice. It leaves a terrible aftertaste to me.

[electric_blue68]

55. Omg, Licorice! .... might be some other candy, but at least years back - off the chart reaction.

My first, and maaaybe only experience
(🤔 although, how would I have known again to identify it as a taste. Maybe I had one more knowing it was licorice)
.
Basically, I was in either kindergarten, or first grade. Had a slew of colorful jelly beans. Tasty.
Then I had the black one. GAK! Spitted out!!!

ETA: having just looked up- a forgotten candy by me - Good & Plenty. Remember the commercial!
Maybe I had it without knowing what it was at some point- that was definitely licorice flavored.

Hope I'm making sense. The black jelly bean was terrible, but I didn't know it was licorice.
So what I don't know; is how I came to identify that awful taste as licorice. So I'm thinking I must have had one more bad experience with it. And was that possibly w G&P.

[debm55]

69. thank you electric_blue68. I think Good & Plenty had black licorice in the center. I didn't like it.

[electric_blue68]

91. Yes, it did. I looked it up.

[marble falls]

62. If I don't like it, it can't be candy.

[debm55]

68. HAHHAHAHAH. That's a good one, marble falls. Thank you.

[rpannier]

63. Clark Bars

[debm55]

67. Agree. I don't think they make them anymore. But I could be wrong. Thank you rpannier.

[subterranean]

143. Apparently, they are still made by the Boyer Co. in Pittsburgh.

But in very limited quantities. I actually had a craving for a Clark Bar recently, but they seem to be available only online, and you have to buy a whole box for $50 plus shipping.

https://www.boyercandies.com/products/clark-bar

[debm55]

146. Thank you subterranean. I should have known that. Boyer Co. also made Malow Cups.

[Prairie_Seagull]

65. Anything containing marshmallow.

Fingers did not want to type the word. duh. haha

[debm55]

66. Hahahahhaha. Thank you very much Prairie_Seagull, I know what your mean. However, I do like it in hot chocolate.

[C_U_L8R]

80. Sweet Tarts

Blecch.

[debm55]

81. Agree, C_U_L8R. I never tasted the sweet--just the sour(tart) Thank you C_U_L8R.

[MichMan]

83. Agree completely with black licorice and all variants

Nasty vile stuff

[debm55]

88. Totally agree, MichMan. Thank you.

[justaprogressive]

89. A dozen I tried and rejected

but what really baked my noodle was Hershey bars.

Here you a great raw product which they sell in the form of cocoa powder...


and they ruined it.

I love good chocolate! but if I wanted it by itself,
I had to buy it from a confectioner.

I'd eat Cadbury's (before Nestle bought them out)!

Thank the maker, Lindt started selling over here in the 80's.
Raspberry or Blood Orange Filled Milk Chocolate bars.



BTW: My horse loved Hershey Bars so I guess they're good for something!

[debm55]

92. Thank you, justaprogressive, I really like the Lindt raspberry bar. Hershey did change it's chocolate recipe and it is

not as good as it was in my younger days. Sad.

[MiHale]

105. Candy Corn...

Little know fact about Candy Corn…All the Candy Corn in the U.S. was made on the same day in 1938.



BTW…love a good black licorice.

[debm55]

109. HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA. Thank you very much. MiHale.

[Diamond_Dog]

114. Hahahaha! It sure tastes that way, MiHale!

[ProfessorGAC]

120. Peeps

Ugh.
I'm with you on black licorice, too.
And someone mentioned circus peanuts. Those are dreadful, too.

[debm55]

126. Thank you very much much, ProfessorGAC. I would add candy corn to your list. YUCK.

[customerserviceguy]

128. Anything really hot

When I was a kid, we had penny candy called "Atomic Fire Balls". I took one on a dare once, and I regretted it!

[debm55]

129. Were They the small ones or the jawbreaker?

[customerserviceguy]

141. The jawbreaker

Later on, I got used to cinnamon candies a little bit by occasionally getting a box of the little ones. Still, it was more of a daredevil thing than an enjoyment thing. Mom liked her Dentyne gum, I never did like that, I preferred Bazooka bubble gum!

[WestMichRad]

131. Can't single out just one.

Others have mentioned several candies that I won’t touch… Good ‘n’ plenty (gag), circus peanuts (yikes!), Peeps, Butterfingers, and I’m sure I’m not remembering others. But the idea special award of disgrace goes to Hersey’s chocolate: how can they take such a wonderful thing as chocolate and enshittify it?

[debm55]

135. I live about in PA and at one time Hersey's was great. People were pissed when then changed the recipe. I now tastes too

waxy,

[RainCaster]

138. Candy Corn & Peeps

Yuck

[debm55]

140. I'll double Yuck you, RainCaster.

[JMCKUSICK]

142. Those hard Butterscotch candies in the yellow wrappers.

[debm55]

147. I agree with you John. too hard to eat.

[3catwoman3]

144. Can't stand Tootsie Rolls.

That they have been likened in appearance to what I sift from our cat boxes doesn't help.

[debm55]

145. HAHAHAHAHHAH. I agree. Thank you 3catwoman3

[Mad_Dem_X]

148. Candy corn, circus peanuts, black licorice

Ick.

[debm55]

153. That's my list too. Thank you Mad_Dem_X

[Oopsie Daisy]

149. Necco wafers. Circus peanuts.

[debm55]

154. Thank you very much, Oopsie Daisy. for sharing your list.

[kozar]

150. Licorice, IMHO, should be,

On the banned substance list. I hate the flavor, the smell, everything about it.
My go to candy was Milk Duds. Can't miss with chocolate and caramel. My VA dental plan, no more Milk Duds. So I'm into KitKat,s now. 20 cents for a snack size bar.

Koz

[debm55]

155. Agree with you. kozar. A Milk Dud pulled one of my baby teeth out. Never ate one again. I like KitKats too.

[LisaM]

152. I love black licorice, especially the good stuff.

My grandfather used to get this stuff made by Walkers called licorice toffee, and it was to die for.

List of things I can't stand (other than the obvious Circus Peanuts) are Whoppers or any malted milk balls, Kit Kats and Twix, and Laffy Taffy, with banana representing the lowest rung of enjoyment on the Laffy Taffy ladder.

[debm55]

156. Thank you very much, LisaM. I agree with your list of can't stands. except for the Kit Kats.

[ArnoldLayne]

157. Black Licorice and Clark Bars

[debm55]

158. HAHAHHHA, Thank you very much ArnoldLayne.

[Danascot]

160. Nobody has mentioned Ju Ju Bees

The dentist's friend. Fortunately I think they were discontinued.

I also lost a filling to a Sugar Daddy bar.

[debm55]

161. Thank you Danascot. I hated Ju Ju Bees with a passion