When I was growing up in Singapore, I hated school.
Funny how much a person can change, but I was your typical unmotivated, sullenly frustrating student back in Singapore. I dreaded Sundays because that meant I had to go to school the next day, and I was the first one to sprint out the class on Friday afternoons, my level of joy equivalent to that of a POW who had been released.
What got me through the middle of the week, especially the annoyingly tiresome Mondays, was the mid-day sugary snack I would treat myself to on the way home.
Every single school day after class was over, I would walk over to the local 7-Eleven or convenience store with a couple of friends, and we would buy candies.
I had my list of favorite mid-day candies that I would rotate depending on my mood:
1) White Rabbit Candy (a milk-based candy with edible wrapper)
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The family-owned convenience store below my apartment always sold these in 10 cents-bags. The wrapped tastes like paper, but oh my god! It’s edible! It’s fabulous!!
2) Mars Bars (Similar to Milky Way here in the States) 
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I bought at least two of these each time: one to eat over the slow, sticky course of an hour, the other for the freezer to eat cold.
3) Violet Crumble (Similar to Cadbury’s Crunchie, it’s this candy bar with a honeycomb-like middle coated in chocolate)
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God I miss these. Can’t find them around here. But for some reason I always felt so gourmet eating these; possibly because I was convinced those were real honeycombs.
4) Werther’s Original Hard Candies 
In Singapore, they sold them in a wrapped bar rather than individually-wrapped in a package. I always finished it all in one seating, sucking happily while reading a Sweet Valley book.
And lastly…
5) Yupi Gummies: 
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My favorite was the hamburger gummies. Come on. A hamburger in gummy form? I loved the center green and yellow part the most.
So those were my short list of favorite childhood candies. When I moved to the United States, I started loving Jelly Beans, Twizzlers, and Mary Janes.
Currently, I like Kit Kats, Snickers, and Peanut M&M’s. But they’re not as fun to eat as the candies I ate in Singapore because I no longer have the childhood leisure of slowly savoring them, but they’re still perfect for a sweet break in the middle of a draining day.
Recently, I got a package of Darrell Lea liquorice that made me remember how much I used to love gummies and liquorice. 
Darrell Lea is an Australia-based private-owned confectionary company. It sells all sorts of candies from liquorice to chocolates, but their best-selling item is still the soft-eating liquorice. 
The package was sent by the same representatives of Quorn, because Darrell Lea liquorice is now available in the U.S…and every one of you who live in America ought to get your licorice fix, because this stuff is awesome!!
They sent me four flavors: Black, Strawberry, Mango, and Green Apple. 
I can’t be the best judge of the black liquorice because black liquorice reminds me of Chinese herbal medicine, so I gave the black one to my friend Renee, who promptly turned it into black licorice pudding and served it for dessert at her bible study group (which I stupidly couldn’t attend).
But I can tell you this: Twizzlers taste like colored rubber compared to the other liquorices. 
God, the strawberry ones were FANTASTIC!!!! Each liquorice comes in a fat, blunt tube: 
And the flavor is so rich and vibrant, it’s almost as though the juices are flowing from tube center.
The mango was amazing, too: 
I almost wanted to send this to my brother because he loves mango flavored stuff, but I accidentally ate the whole packet. Oops.
The green apple, if you’re into candy that is less sweet but tangy, was another salivatory flavor (I made up that word). 
I wish I had taken a picture of the actual liquorice, but I didn’t dig into this flavor until I was totting the package around school, nibbling happily during the course of my 10-hour school day.
Another word about these liquorices. They have great texture. They are hard enough to have a firm bite and pleasant chew, but not so gummy that you get a jaw work-out, or worse, have to start picking at your teeth. 
Thank goodness, because I don’t want to be jabbing at my teeth and making funny faces in the middle of a lecture, you know?
By the way, speaking of candies…here’s a funny story.
When I was in fourth grade (or primary four), studying at Keng Cheng Primary School in Singapore, I once popped a grape candy into my mouth during class.
Well, the rule is that you’re not supposed to eat anything in class, and the teachers are pretty strict about that. Unfortunately for me, my teacher had the nose of a hound and she SMELLED the grape candy!!!
Her nose flared and her eyes started glinting. “Who’s eating candy?” she demanded.
I froze.
The teacher asked again, this time in a sharper voice: “I smell grape candy. Who’s eating in class?”
Of course, no one spoke up. All my classmates glanced around at each other. I looked about with a fake expression of bewilderment.
“Who is it?” I muttered innocently. “Naughty girl…I mean, boy!”
My teacher was adamant in finding the evil culprit who dared commit the crime of eating a grape candy in class. She made all of us turn around to the student beside us, and to check inside the mouths of each other to see if anyone had a candy in there.
I hastily hid the candy under my tongue, and opened wide for my classmate.
“Here! Here!” someone exclaimed triumphantly over at the corner of the classroom. “He’s the one with the candy!!”
Huh? But I’m the one eating the candy!
Turns out, another poor boy in class had a grape candy in his mouth!! What are the odds, right?! But yeah, he got called out and he got punished.
And I got away scot-free. I was extra-nice to that boy after that incident. He never knew why.
Anyway, now that I think of it, that teacher was ridiculous. I don’t know why she was so mad about a piece of grape candy. Perhaps she should have spent more energy making her classes more interesting so students don’t have to eat candy in order to stay awake.
And what is with that tattle-tale, screaming so happily about finding the candy culprit? Now I wish I can turn back in time so I can slap him over the head.
But lesson learned: Don’t eat grape candy in class. And don’t sit next to a tattle-tale.
Question of the Day: What was your favorite childhood candy? What was the most ridiculous rule you had to obey in school?
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Australia represent!!!
Teehee I remember being excited about the edible paper on candies like White Rabbit too, even though they tasted gross 
P.S. Would you likeme to send you some Violet Crumbles/Crunchies?? I’d be more than happy to!
Haha Sophia you’re so lucky! I had a few picnics in class before but I’ve never gotten caught.
Those Licorice bites are actually remarkably similar to my favourite childhood candy, only for some reason they were called ‘Dino Sticks,’ and my favourite was also the apple flavour. I also loved Skittles and Jelly Belly Beans. I can’t believe Mars bars don’t exist in the US! They’re probably the most widely-known candy bar in the UK.
Ricidulous rules? Oh, my school had so many. Like ties had to be at least eight inches long. Yeah, were they going to come round and measure them with a ruler? Schools are often needlessly petty about ridiculous things, while ignoring the two kids beating the snot out of someone quietly in the corner (or maybe I’m biased because that ‘someone’ was always me?)
Loved the grape candy story
xxx
Besides chocolate, I have never really liked candy. I ate chocolate like crazy as a kid though!
I love candy! Can you believe that for a while I avoided it because it had no nutritional value and was just sugar. Yeah, I’m dumb. Candy is the greatest thing ever!
I fell in love with white rabbits when I was introduced to them by the friends I visited in Singapore ages ago! I now find them once in a while at the asian supermarkets here too. I used to hate licorice but now I’ve fallen in love with it. Growing up and even now I love anything gummy. I’d have my mom buy the 5 lb bags of gummy bears from Sam’s Club for me :X and yes, I’d eat them until I felt sick. I think gummy things may expand somehow in your stomach. I really don’t have the patience for hard candies though, I just feel like I have to chew something and get bored with hard candy pretty quickly. I also love all the flavored mentos, tropical, grape, fruit, cocoa cola, they’re all good.
Strangely I’m not a huge chocolate person, I love a good super dark chocolate, and I’ve been on a hot cocoa kick lately (namely ghirardelli’s mocha mix!) but I have to be in the mood for it and it’s not one of those things I go crazy over and can’t stop eating. I just satisfy the craving and then I’m over it.
ps. I wanted to comment on your last post too, You and Eden are sooooo stinkin adorable!!! I love your accent! Is it more singaporean or korean? And I love the top and belt you’re wearing, and your BAM haha. The recipe looks tasty too, maybe you could even put it on top of pizza crust! Gotta get the carbs in, and one of my favorite things is runny fried egg on pizza. Have you ever had that? It’s amazing!
Fun post!!! My favorite candy from childhood? Crunchie bars. (similar to the candy on your post) I still love it! Have a sweet weekend.
Hahaha, I love the grape candy story, hilarious!! Candy brings back such great childhood memories!
I can’t choose just one favorite candy because for me, it falls into two distinct categories: fruity and chocolate. My favorite fruity candy as a kid was gummy worms (especially the sour ones) and Caramello was my favorite chocolate candy. Who am I kidding? These are still my favorites now!
Looking at all those sweets is fun
. My favorite childhood candy was the Nestle Crunch bar. They have them in England too, but they are not the same here.
HOpe you are having a great weekend.
*kisses* HH
I’ve seen those licorice! Unfortunately I’ve never bought them.. yet. Now that I’ve seen your review and pictures I think I need to buy a bag. Or two. Or four so that I can try all the flavors.
I don’t eat much candy now but my favorite use to be those Licorice Allsorts. Most kids hated them but me? Um.. don’t leave me alone with a bag. Oh! And that Bridge Mix! I don’t eat it due to the whole dairy thing but if someone ever made a vegan version I would marry them.
I am SOOOO glad you liked the strawberry licorice because I just bought the same ones when I was at home a week ago. I couldn’t resist when I saw it. I have had some of those other candies too. Hmm, I better head to get some candy now.
That violet crumble looked MIGHTY tasty! I love all candy and always have. It’s actually a bit ridiculous!
Dumbest rule in school… we had to ASK for permission to go to the bathroom! How crazy, no!?!?
Haha!!! I’ve always been more of a chocolate girl than candy. Reese PB cups were always my “candy” of choice!
I think I’ve seen those Violet Crumbles at Cost Plus World Market. They carry some of Darrell Lea Licorice also. That stuff is goooood!
Favorite childhood candy…hmmm… I loved the Dip n’ Sticks (especially the stick), candy neclaces, red rope licorice (the long thick ropes, not the twisty ones. I’m bummed that I can’t find the thick solid ones anymore!). My favorite chocolates were Twix and Kit Kat~ still are. I like them chilled a bit.
Hugs,
Jill
Those licorice candies sound yummy, cool flavors!
I can’t find the rabbit candy anymore.. I heard they’re discontinued!
I used to love Mars too and while Milky Way does resemble Mars, there’s something missing….
If you save me some of those black liquorice I’ll swap them for you for some German gummies (where gummy bears were invented!) I LOVE Black Liquorice!
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