What’s your favorite candy?
Candies used to be an annual affair growing up. We used to distribute chocolates/candies while in school. Coloured clothes or civvies and chocolates on the special day, was a practice most schools accommodated on students birthday. Offering chocolates to teachers first, then the team that help and maintenance staff and then your class mates and if there were extras then the bus drivers as well. The kind of chocolates or candies distributed were very important.
I had a classmate who decided to celebrate by distributing pieces of cake. These are the Iyengar bakery sponge cake which was something all of us drooled over every single day. What a celebration that was- class was interrupted and the cake was distributed. And we were allowed to eat in class in the middle of a period so we did not make a mess by shoving it under the table until the break! It was definitely: “The. Best. Birthday. Celebration. Ever.” This was in grade 7. Student name: A Padmaraj. She was a new student to the school that year and she was our best friend. Full points for class disruption.
Over the years, schools have evolved and as is bound to happen with the passage of time, traditions change. Unfortunately for students today, this candy distributing – class disrupting tradition has been modified and in some instances abandoned completely. Today some schools have only one day every week where kids having a birthday that week dress differently and bring candies to distribute. Other schools have completely done away with the practice for older kids. So no birthday celebrations, no candy distributions, and no coloured clothes for school.
So, over the years of these traditional celebrations in school, I’ve tried various kinds of candies and chocolates: Cadbury Gems, Dairy Milk, Ravalgon, Kismi Toffee Bars, Coffee Bites, lemon Drops and its sibling, orange candies, Mango Bites, Flavoured Jujubes are just some of the names that come to mind. But the ones that always tempted me, were 5 star, Nutties and lately, TimTams.
Five star, Cadbury. It’s chocolate with a caramel cover. And super awesome. Easily accessible in India in various sizes. I love the original one. The chunky and the fruit and nut infused ones are not as perfect as the original. The only one closest in texture and flavour could be Twix. But it’s nowhere as perfect as 5star.
Cadbury Nutties. I’ve loved this since I was a kid. But I’ve only just figured that it’s cashew covered chocolates. The almond covers ones don’t taste the same and the peanut covered ones, and the chocolate malt ones- maltesers – no punch. Although I love peanuts by themselves. Cadbury had also launched chocolate covered raisins. The ones by Cadbury were different. I’ve since tasted raisins dipped in chocolate, but it does not taste the same.
ARNOTT’S TimTams – dark, caramel, double coat, original, oh! These wafer covered chocolates are the best. Perfect size for just the right amount of punch and then some. I tried them for the first time a couple of years ago, but these are the best. Amazon also stocks some interesting flavours which I would’ve ordered if not for the fact that the import cost and delivery dates would make it easier for me to set up a franchise here rather than order them. Will wait for it to hit the shelves.
How about you, did you have any interesting school traditions that involved distributing candies for all? The candies and chocolates bring back some sweet memories. Let me know if you’ve got any favourites. Until then, I’m just sitting around not heading to the chocolate jar.
Just a little more 