This Fan-Favorite Candy Bar Didn't Survive The 1970s — And You Can Thank Cadbury

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The 20th century saw the birth of the most iconic candy bars. Some of those creations became big household names; others disappeared into history, joining the list of vintage candy bars that nobody remembers anymore. But there's one particular candy bar that people do remember, even though it's been gone for nearly 50 years: Caravelle, made by the Peter Paul company.

Caravelle was released in 1965 and quickly became a fan-favorite. It was made from caramel, crispy rice, and milk chocolate. The exterior of the bar was hard chocolate, the crispy rice sat underneath it, and the soft and fudgey caramel was hiding in the center. At some point, the bar also contained Brazil nuts, but it's unclear which version came first. The combination of different textures made Caravelle a major hit.

But despite its popularity, the candy bar never made it past the '70s. In 1978, the Peter Paul company merged with one of the most popular chocolate brands: Cadbury. It appears that Caravelle was unfortunate collateral damage of that merger, because it disappeared from the store shelves right around that time. Some reports do state that Caravelle had storage problems, which could be the reason why Cadbury ultimately phased it out. Apparently, the candy bar had a very short shelf life, and there might have also been an issue with the cost of the Brazil nuts.

It wasn't just the textures and the flavors that made Caravelle special; it was the memories. On the retro message board, In The '70s, people came together to reminisce about this beloved candy bar. A commenter called Karen said, "I STILL long for this candy bar! It was my favorite of all time! I remember fighting my brother and sister for theirs when we would get candy at Halloween!" Tamara shared, "My piano teacher used to give me a Caravelle bar each week after my lesson. I looked forward to that so much, and was VERY disappointed if she gave me some other candy. The very best candy bar ever!"

The merger between Cadbury and Peter Paul might have spelled the death of Caravelle, but it didn't entirely erase Peter Paul's creations. Two of its most popular candy bars are still available today: Mounds and Almond Joy. If you're of the younger generations and want to taste a candy bar that's similar to what Caravelle used to be, the 100 Grand bar (previously owned by Nestlé, now by Ferrero) comes pretty close in terms of the ingredients and structure — even though the original '70s crowd would find this comparison completely heretical.