I’ve always found it odd how candy corn doesn’t particularly resemble corn. If anything, it’s more like a diseased tooth that’s been yanked from someone’s mouth, root and all. Or possibly a tiny little guitar pick. Corn kernels just aren’t long like this.
However, if you’re the type who reads ingredient lists (sheepishly raises hand), you’d note that candy corn has an unexpected connection to its vegetable namesake. One of the primary ingredients is corn syrup, meaning it does indeed get to claim some legit corn heritage. Now you know.
This particular candy corn is from the Carnaby Sweets line sold at Shoppers Drug Mart stores in Canada. For a house brand, I’ve had some decent luck with their products, and the price was right.
If you chew these kernels, the taste is like a low-rent knock-off of Kraft caramels, quickly releasing a mix of cooked sugar, artificial vanilla and sweetness. The texture is waxy and crumbly and a bit like cheap fondant, and it gives easily when bitten into.
It’s when you suck on it instead of chewing that things get weird. Rather than sweet and caramelly, the “corn” slowly breaks down without readily releasing sweetness. It’s dull and waxy, with the taste and texture of … eating raw flour? Seriously. I have no idea how this is possible, but it’s gross. A chalky, grainy, dusty feeling lingered in my mouth. It’s marginally sweeter than what I’d imagine licking unpainted drywall would taste like.
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The Details
Price: $2.49 for a 375-gram plastic container at Shoppers Drug Mart in Edmonton.
Availability: Though brands differ, it’s ubiquitous in Canada. Look for it in grocery store bulk food aisles, though the season – from Canadian Thanksgiving to Halloween – is now over. I’m not sure if availability stretches later in the U.S. due to Americans’ later Thanksgiving. Let us know in the comments, American visitors?
Nutrition: 140 calories per 19 pieces (39 grams). Math says that’s about 7 calories per kernel.
Verdict: If you chew it, it’s OK in small quantities. But even then, more than a few kernels/teeth are too many at once.