5 Classic New England Candies You Can Still Buy Today

If someone asked you to envision staples of New England's culinary culture, what foods would come to mind? Perhaps a bread bowl, filled to the brim with creamy clam chowder, or maybe a lobster roll, overflowing with freshly caught Maine lobster? While these hearty mainstays are undeniably iconic, they only scratch the surface of the region's rich culinary history. New England, once at the heart of the American Revolution, also witnessed a quieter (yet incredibly delicious) revolution in the world of candy making. In fact, some of the nation's first mass-produced candies were created in the region, born in family kitchens and small-town factories long before the current confectionary giants took over.

Today, the legend of these cherished candies continue. After more than a century, you can still find some sugary bits of New England's culinary history in stores today, though it might take a little searching. From chocolate-covered nougat bars to peanut butter and molasses taffy wrapped up tight in wax paper, these candies have persevered through world wars, pandemics, changing tastes, and company bankruptcies. Whether your childhood saw frequent trips to the general store, scooping penny candies out of wooden barrels, or you're just discovering them for the first time, these five classic New England sweets are worth a revisit. They're a testament to the fact that good flavors (and a heaping helping of New England pride!) will never go out of style.

Love them or hate them, Necco Wafers have a practically unmatched historical status in the candy making world. These brightly colored, chalky candies are way older than you think, as they were created in 1847, more than a decade before the U.S. Civil War. Invented by pharmacist-turned-candy-maker Oliver R. Chase in Boston, Massachusetts, Necco Wafers were originally devised as a sugary delivery method for pharmaceutical drugs. The medicine would be pressed into the strongly flavored wafer, which would act as a lozenge, masking the harsh taste of his customer's prescriptions. 

But Chase found that his customers adored his sweet creation and were looking to enjoy them without needing a prescription. He formed a small candy company with his brothers, eventually merging with a couple other Boston-based confectionaries to become the New England Candy Company, or NECCO. Given that they're incredibly dry and mostly sugar, Necco Wafers are known for their long shelf life. The U.S. military took advantage, including the colorful bits in soldiers' rations in WWI and the Spanish-American War. The troops could not get enough, skyrocketing Necco wafers from a regional treat to a beloved national icon. 

Today, those strong flavors are still around, and they're a New England food you need to try at least once. In a standard pack, you'll find eight colors, all with an diverse mix of distinct flavors. Some flavors are more typical, like orange, lemon, and lime, but the others are a tad more eclectic, including wintergreen, cinnamon, clove, black licorice, and chocolate.

There's an unforgettable "Seinfeld" episode that sees Kramer munching on a box of Junior Mints while observing an ongoing surgery underway at the hospital. In an act of clumsiness, he drops one of his precious candies onto the operating table, where it's implied that it saved the patient's life. While we cannot vouch for any life-saving properties, we cannot deny that a box of Junior Mints is incredibly tasty. Smooth, glossy, and undeniably refreshing, these chocolate-covered creamy mints are a quintessential addition to any night out at the movies. 

Junior Mints first hit store shelves in 1949. They were sold by the James O. Welch Candy Company of Cambridge, Massachusetts. According to legend, the the name "Junior Mints" was inspired by a broadway show called "Junior Miss," in an attempt to capitalize on the public's then-growing interest in entertainment business. Not only that, but some suggest that the Junior Mints box was specifically designed for easy pouring while sitting in a movie theater, or if you're Cosmo Kramer, a hospital room. The factory (and subsequent rights to the candy itself) have passed hands several times over many decades, first being sold in 1963 to Nabisco, the makers of the Oreo. Currently, Junior Mints are owned by the Tootsie Roll Industries, where more than 15 million of the bite-sized mints are produced each and every day. It's perhaps the most popular candy on this list, found at most cinema concessions stands, big box retailers, and grocers.

Most chocolate bars settle for just one flavor, but the Sky Bar sets its sights much higher. Another creation by NECCO, the Sky Bar was invented in 1938, and owes its namesake to the then-ever-expanding popularity of all-things airplanes. The Sky Bar is made up of four distinct sections, each with a unique filling and texture. There's sweet, sticky caramel, creamy vanilla, silky peanut, and ooey-gooey fudge, all wrapped up in delicious milk chocolate. Given its aeronautic theming, the Sky Bar's popularity can be traced to its marketing, which saw NECCO hiring skywriters, which advertised the bar in mid-air. The candy bar was so popular that after the lights came back on post-WWII in Times Square, a Sky Bar billboard was just one of a handful to be re-lit. 

If there's any candy that was guaranteed to be found in a New England penny candy barrel, it's the Mary Jane. Known for its iconic yellow and red wax paper wrapping, the Mary Jane was born in 1914, and has barely changed in over a century. Boasting a firm yet stretchy texture that softens over time in your mouth, Mary Jane candies are a delightful fusion of creamy peanut butter and molasses. Somehow, it's not overpowering or cloyingly sweet, instead boasting a salty-sweet, nutty flavor profile.

Mary Jane candies are deeply rooted in Boston history. Created by Charles N. Miller in his family home (which just so happed to be the former home of Paul Revere), the candy can trace its name to Miller's aunt, Mary Jane. Early marketing for the molasses-based taffy exploited it's cheap cost, especially in times of war and financial hardship. This association with consumers for a sweet treat that would not break the bank helped solidify the Mary Jane in American popular culture, catapulting it to icon status more than 100 years later.

The Charles N. Miller company was sold to NECCO in the early 1990s. Just like the Sky Bar, the Mary Jane candy's rights were traded following NECCO's bankruptcy in 2018. Today, they're owned by the Atkinson Candy Company, which also manufactures the Chick-O-Stick and Mint Twist candies, among others. You can still buy this retro candy at Cracker Barrel, as well as online or in select candy shops across the United States.

At first glance, it's easy to assume that the Charleston Chew derives its name from outside the Northeast, like Charleston, South Carolina, or Charleston, West Virginia. Instead, it's inspired by the hit dance fad of the 1920s, and is a proud New England invention. Created by former thespian Donley Cross and his friend Charlie Fox in 1922, the Charleston Chew is a beloved treat consisting of vanilla-flavored nougat smothered in milk chocolate. Fans of the chewy treat know that the ultimate way to eat a Charleston Chew is to freeze it, which transforms the candy's stretchy texture into a crunchy delight that shatters into bits when chewed. While we take our freezers for granted nowadays, the Charleston Chew's marketing back in the early 20th century helped pioneer the use of consumers' home freezers, a then-hot, new commodity in the American household. Frozen or not, it's a classic Halloween candy that we just can't get enough of.

If vanilla flavoring isn't your thing, the Charleston Chew is also available in strawberry and chocolate flavors. Not only that, but multiple sizes are readily available for purchase, ranging from a full-size bar to a box of bite-sized pieces. Alongside Junior Mints, the Charleston Chew was acquired by Tootsie Roll Industries in 1993, where it has remained ever since. It's readily available at movie theaters and candy stores throughout New England.