Comments on: What to get for a candy fiend.

Question: What to get for a candy fiend.

TunnelArmr — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 13:58:19 -0800

Birthday gift for someone who really, really likes candy/

A friend of mine is a total sugar fiend. She loves candy, and is not overly partial to specific kinds, she likes all sorts. A LOT. What are some cool candy-related gift ideas for her upcoming birthday? So far all I can think of is a candy gift basket...

By: TunnelArmr

TunnelArmr — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 13:59:54 -0800

So I made a typo in the question, and when I previewed, I fixed it and made another one... :( If matt or jessaymn sees this, can you make that a question mark?

By: jackofsaxons

jackofsaxons — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:00:55 -0800

These guys sell a human heart made of chocolate. They're currently updating their site right now but I'd imagine it will be up soon.

By: occhiblu

occhiblu — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:03:48 -0800

I haven't been there in a long time, but the Long Grove Confectionary always had amazing chocolates in unexpected shapes/configurations.

Their novelty catalog might have something that appeals.

By: occhiblu

occhiblu — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:05:01 -0800

(Err, didn't realize how small that novelty selection was online. You may want to expand your search through the entire catalog!)

By: interrobang

interrobang — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:06:21 -0800

You could start her a Limited Edition Candy Collection. Buy two of anything "limited edition" you can find—one to eat, one to archive.

By: divka

divka — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:06:58 -0800

How about the book Candyfreak: A Journey Through the Chocolate Underbelly of America?

By: herrdoktor

herrdoktor — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:07:57 -0800

If she likes all sorts, a lot, then you should get her a lot of all sorts of candy. And by "a lot" I mean a ridiculous amount of candy.

It is my belief that, at least when it comes to gifts, quantity eventually trumps quality. A single roll of toilet paper makes a terrible gift. Five thousand rolls, however, makes an incredibly awesome present. You've effectively removed a need and concern from their life. Never again (or, for at least, not for a very long time) will the recipient find themselves in the position of having to run out to buy toilet paper, or use tissues, or paper towels, or newspaper, or magazines, or cardboard boxes pulped in the mouth and allowed to dry in sheets (which is especially bad, because jaw muscles cramp, and feet go numb from sitting on the toilet for so long while waiting for the cardboard to dry).

Storage might be a pain, but it could also be wondrous: imagine a bathroom closet, which when opened reveals a solid wall of toilet paper, rolls and rolls deep! Five thousand rolls of TP might very well become art.

Five thousand toothbrushes, five thousand bars of soap, five thousand bags of assorted candies. All awesome.

By: clh

clh — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:10:24 -0800

How old is your friend?
Maybe a retro candy collection?

By: kimdog

kimdog — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:12:54 -0800

I am totally like this chick. Dont' know where you are but a gift certificate to Dylans Candy Bar in NYC would make my day. (Actually I think you can order on line).

I also totally love this adorable candy sushi.

By: kimdog

kimdog — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:15:26 -0800

Ummm... and just in case you take herrdoktor's advice on quantity... at least go for variety. Once my exbf bought me a GIANT tin of Necco Wafers. I hate Necco Wafers. I would have rather had TUMS. Not a happy candy gift.

By: sugarfish

sugarfish — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:16:34 -0800

You might troll through the archives of The Candy Blog for some unusual fare. If nothing else, send her the link -- she'd probably love it.

By: I Love Tacos

I Love Tacos — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:19:34 -0800

Dark chocolate tacos with sweet fruit salsa.

By: MrMoonPie

MrMoonPie — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:23:23 -0800

I once gave someone 25 PEZ dispensers at once, with, of course, a bunch of refills.

By: crosten

crosten — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:26:49 -0800

Try Stupid if you think she might like something, uh, stupid.

By: Megafly

Megafly — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:31:21 -0800

for a more specific type of candy try Licorice International

If you want some rare or retro stuff, check out the Vermont Country Store

By: kindall

kindall — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:33:16 -0800

If you're considering the chocolate heart, go for the chocolate skull. It's quite expensive, but if I had a friend who was a candy freak I probably would have got them one already.

By: unknowncommand

unknowncommand — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:45:15 -0800

You don't list your location, but if it's in the US, are there any British or European import stores near you? Get a ton of crazy delicious candy that she's never seen before, at least some Lion bars or Wunderbars. They rock.

By: misterbrandt

misterbrandt — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:47:51 -0800

I have a friend who is also a crazy candy nut, and we recently got her a candy machine full of candy. It went over exceptionally well, if i do say so myself.

By: melissa may

melissa may — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:55:19 -0800

Get her a bunch of Kinder Surprise Eggs. That way, she'll have candy and toys.

If you want to be more extravagant, go for your candy basket idea, but include the eggs, along with some actually decent dark chocolate, some good crusty bakery bread, and a bottle of good red wine.

Oh my god. It's not my birthday but please, someone, get this for me.

By: saladin

saladin — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:56:03 -0800

Aji Ichiban sells a really cool and unique selection of Chinese candies and snacks. Always a hit, I've found.

By: jdroth

jdroth — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:57:18 -0800

Try the Old-Time Candy Company. They've got a huge assortment of unusual items at reasonable prices. I have a friend who is a candy fiend, and she loves to order from this place.

By: ericb

ericb — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 15:00:33 -0800

Frrrozen Hot Chocolate Mix and Serendipitous Fragrance -- "Cocoa you can wear!" from Serendipity.

By: obol

obol — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 15:35:27 -0800

I bought some candy sushi for my parents. It was beautiful, and they said it tasted very good. The have edible chopsticks too.

By: cosmicbandito

cosmicbandito — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 15:39:11 -0800

I reccomend something from the Ferrera Pan Collection . They make the classics like Lemonheadss, Boston Baked Beans, and Atomic Fireballs. I've bought from their online store before, and it rocks.

By: Phred182

Phred182 — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 16:39:49 -0800

Another voice in favor of Saladin's suggestion: foreign versions of popular candy. I was in Japan and found grape Mentos. They made me so happy I ordered two boxes online (google link by lazy Phred).

By: CMichaelCook

CMichaelCook — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 18:10:48 -0800

The candy store at Hometown Favorites has a ridiculous selection of just about every type of sugar ever made... including gift box collections from the '50s to the '80s. A friend of mine gave me the '70s collection for my birthday a while back. Not only was it a blast from the past, it was also absolutely delicious.

By: blackkar

blackkar — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 18:30:45 -0800

My old roommate was the same way and I made her a mix CD of songs with the word Candy in them - Candy Girl by New Edition, I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow, Candy-O by The Cars, Candy by Mandy Moore, etc. Most of these songs have covers, so if you don't like the original style, you can find another version too.

By: stuart_s

stuart_s — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 20:18:38 -0800

Here's one more source for nostalgiac or regional or lesser known candy:Big Tips Candy.

And: Absolutely the biggest candy store anywhere! GUARANTEED!

There have been several very informative askme threads about chocoate including one about a chocolate of the month club. Between those, a NY Times roundup, a slate roundup and various other recommendations I've accumulated quite a chocolate wishlist of my own. Woodhouse - Fran's - Michael Angelo's.

Bruges is a very small local (to me) truffle maker and I can vouch for his quality.

DC Duby are well known for creating innovative combinations of flavors. They also sell a "science kit" which lets you duplicate their feats of molecular gastronomy. (Independent blogger review) And for more traditional DIY chocolate try Chocolate Alchemy.

Sugar Savvy is blog devoted to candy. If your friend is into exotic candy, Sugar Savvy has a regular feature on Asian sweets. (Unless of course, your friend is Chinese in which case these would just be sweets.)

THE ONLY 149 CHOCOLATES YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT As a bonus this article also mentions several tours and festivals.

And finally, fudge.

By: Iamtherealme

Iamtherealme — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 23:30:45 -0800

Funny this should be asked, as I just saw the coolest thing this evening in a candy shop window. It's like a diaper cake that is frequently used for baby showers, but instead of baby stuff it was made entirely of candy. I found this googling for "candy cake", and this could give you some ideas. Since she's not really particular, you could have a lot of fun with this. I've made a diaper cake for a baby shower and even though it didn't turn out as fabulous as the one in my mind was, it was still cool. And it's got the added bonus of having effort and a lot of thought being put into it! In fact, I'm looking forward to my next reason to give somebody a gift so I can make a candy cake! The idea of decorating with lolipops really tickles me for some reason.

By: Radio7

Radio7 — Sat, 29 Apr 2006 02:11:41 -0800

If you go to M&Ms' website, you can order whatever color m&m's you like (there's more variety than the usual to choose from), and have your own messages printed on them (instead of the logo).
You must buy in bulk though.

By: smartypanties

smartypanties — Sat, 29 Apr 2006 04:14:16 -0800

Fill a pinata with the stuff! And a big hard giant candy stick to beat it with.

By: smartypanties

smartypanties — Sat, 29 Apr 2006 04:14:43 -0800

(and with the candy, to be either mean or helpful, maybe that book called Sugar Busters or Kathlene DesMaison's sugar addict book: Potatoes Not Prozac)

By: Iamtherealme

Iamtherealme — Wed, 03 May 2006 12:44:48 -0800

Did you get a present for her yet? Don't leave us hanging.