I think with a lot of the foods we like – candy in particular – nostalgia can be a pretty powerful force. We all have a handful of foods that we enjoy despite the fact that, deep down, we know aren’t very good. Perhaps they’re associated with pleasant childhood memories, or maybe years of eating them with our undiscerning and still-developing palates have blinded us to how they really taste. Either way, there’s no denying that nostalgia can have a pretty strong effect on our tastebuds.
That’s really the only explanation I can think of for the ongoing success of Necco Wafers, which have been around for almost a hundred years. People eat them as kids, like them (because kids will like pretty much any candy) and then pass them on to their own kids. It’s a vicious circle, really.
Necco Wafers are very chalk-like, complete with a powdery residue left on your fingers. They’re quite crunchy – they’re kind of like a crunchier Pez, at least texturally.
The flavours, which aren’t mentioned anywhere on the packaging (thanks Wikipedia!), break down as follows:
Lemon: This is probably the best flavour in the roll. It’s sweet, with a mild lemony taste. It’s also the most Pez-like of the flavours, which is a good thing.
Orange: This is also pretty decent. This and lemon were the first two flavours I tried, so I was initially thinking “Hey, this isn’t nearly as bad as I remember!” That’s when I tried…
Lime: This has a much stronger citrus flavour than Lemon or Orange. It tastes almost exactly like a lot of bathroom cleaning sprays smell, which is off-putting to say the least.
Clove: Yeah, that’s right – clove. I’m really not sure what to say about this other than that it’s not entirely disgusting, but also not something I’d ever want to eat again.
Cinnamon: This one was decent; it’s mildly spicy with a strong cinnamon flavour, kind of like cinnamon gum or a milder version of those spicy cinnamon hearts you find around Valentine’s Day.
Wintergreen: Odd. Hot, with a somewhat toothpastey flavour.
Licorice: This one isn’t bad, assuming you like black licorice. It’s not the best licorice ever, but considering the calibre of the rest of these, I’ll take anything that isn’t completely gross as a win.
Chocolate: Very sweet, with a strongly sugary / fake-chocolatey taste.
It’s pretty clear that despite Necco Wafers’ stature as a classic American candy, they’re just not very good. After eating about half of the pack, I felt nauseous, and my tongue had an oddly tingly, numb feeling, which persisted even hours later. This is my second time trying Necco Wafers, and I can pretty much guarantee that it’ll be my last.
Manufactured by: Necco
Calories (57 g roll): 220
