Kazoozles

"Delickoricious Chewy Candy," by Willy Wonka.

These are totally weird. I tried two flavors: Pink Lemonade Lemon Ropes with Cherry Filling, and Cherry Punch Cherry Ropes with Punch Filling. And by "filling" they do not mean an ooey, gooey, sticky, sweet, yummy, corn-syrup-based filling à la Starbursts Gummi Bursts (yum! I couldn’t find those last night so I picked up the ropes instead), they mean an oddly fluffy, thick, tangy, dry-ish, somewhat stretchy substance encased in a tubular licorice stick (two per pack, and the lemon ones are rolled in sour sanding sugar).

I prefer the lemon to the cherry, but won’t be picking these up again. They are definitely chewy, but not in a good way. Although the ingredients are few, which is unusual for mass manufactured candy, this licorice is made with wheat flour, which gives it a somewhat firmer texture than I find palatable. I don’t much like the licorice (the cherry tastes cheap, like Nibs and the lemon is slightly bitter), but the “filling” tastes good, although it has a texture not unlike the toothpaste at the dentist (which makes for an interesting candy experience).

You may want to try it despite the stupid name, but I’m not suggesting it… unless you’re looking for a sugar buzz. If you want chewy fruity candy that won’t give you a headache I would just stick with Mike & Ikes or another old standby…