I love candy. Obviously. Many, many different kinds of candy. Candy in all forms, shapes, and sizes. Sweet, sugary, salty, or savory; hard, chewy, crunchy, sticky, powdery; fruity, minty, nutty, or artificially flavored… there’s no one magic combination that I enjoy at the expense of all others.

And then there are the “never in a million years will I ever like it” candies. For example: black licorice. Disgusting. It lacks all features of candy such as sweetness and deliciousness and reminds me more of medicine than something a person would eat for enjoyment. I’ve never found a kind of black-licorice or anise flavored candy that I’ve enjoyed. Consider it my absolute zero of candy, in that it isn’t really candy at all. (Is there anything in life more disappointing that happily eating Jelly Belly jelly beans only to accidentally put a black licorice flavored one in your mouth? I think not.)

Coconut ranks only slightly higher - it’s just not a flavor or texture I enjoy. It might be better fresh, but in Boston opportunities to eat fresh coconut candy are limited. I am more open to coconut than I am to the dreaded black licorice, of course, so don’t be surprised if coconut pops up from time to time in this blog, if only to discuss how much I don’t like it.

Besides coconut and black licorice, and this is something that surprises nearly everyone, I am not a huge fan of chocolate. I eat it on occasion where there’s nothing better, and have been known to enjoy Andes mints and York Peppermint Patties and the occasional candy bar (preferably Snickers, Baby Ruth, or Butterfinger) but as far as the level of reverence and addiction that is normally bestowed upon chocolate by candy fans? Nope, sorry. The main feeling eating chocolate leaves me with is one of thirst.

I know, I know - blasphemy! How can I write a candy blog without talking about chocolate? Well, I do plan on trying it, reviewing different chocolates and its history and production, and perhaps over the trip I’ll grow to like it (as not enjoying it can be extremely inconvenient at times.) As long as it isn’t served with black licorice.

The obvious next question is, well, we know what you don’t like - what do you like? What candies will you really miss? There’s no one single candy that is a definitive favorite, as what I enjoy is so dependent on my mood, the time of day, the temperature and season, and perhaps most importantly whether I’ve recently engorged myself on a particular candy type. However, here are a few candies, in no particular order, that I often find myself buying in relatively large quantities. I’m not sure how I’ll make it through 18 months without them.

Mmm. Candy covered almonds. A tooth-cracking sugar and cream shell over soft almonds. I love just crunching these in my mouth (although most people find them too hard to chew) and then splitting the almond in two.

Another favorite are Haribo Gummy Bears (no other brand will suffice!) These German-made gummy bears in their golden packaging are by far the best on the market. They have just enough texture to fight back when you bite down, and their crisp fruit flavors are much stronger than the run of the mill gummy bear. Cheap imitations are often mushy, too sweet, or lacking in flavor. Accept no substitute!

Willy Wonka Nerds! I love trying to match up the flavors with the colors inside my mouth (favorites: cherry, watermelon, and “white” whatever that is.) These are super sweet when you bite down on them, probably because they’re pure sugar. Airheads lay in a similar genre of candy (that is, the pure sugar with artificial flavoring family) and I’ve been an avid fan since my first taste in grade school. These used to sell for a dime at the town drug store so I could really stock up with a dollar - money much better spent on Airheads than on lunch. I have to admit I love the fake blue raspberry and “white mystery” flavors, although I have no idea what they’re modeled on in real life.

I also go out of my way for Goetze Caramel Creams. Made by a small family owned business (of five generations!) the caramel ingredient apparently includes wheat flour! So it’s healthy, right? When I was little I actually hated getting these in my Halloween candy, because I found the caramel too tough. My usual plan of attack was to eat the sugary cream center and throw the caramel out. However, my tastes have matured and the unique caramel has grown on me. I love to let the cream dissolve in my mouth… and it’s really hard to talk about this candy without sounding X-rated so let’s move on! I’m also a big gum chewer. And by gum chewer I mean gum swallower. I actually go through gum at record speed, and often I swallow it without even realizing. I know, it’s disgusting… but it’s kind of a bad habit and NO it does not sit in your stomach for 7 years!

So, that’s some candy that I’ll definitely miss while I’m traveling. It can be seen that my tastes lean towards the “densely packed sugar” side of the candy house, but I really do enjoy most candy - even if it does have chocolate in it. It will be interesting to see how I feel about candy after my trip: perhaps I’ll find some of it too sweet