As American as 100 Grand

In the 1950's, $100,000 was a lot of money; so much that it was the Grand Prize for a popular game show called, The Big Surprise. Even in 1966, when the $100,000 Bar was introduced by Nestle, it was still a nice chunk of change. Unfortunately, these days it won't buy you much, especially for those of us in California. Yes, in California, $100,000 will buy you a decent a car and a down-payment on a modest home. But on to happier things - like candy! 

The $100,000 Bar hit the scene in 1966, and was inspired by the above-mentioned games show. Mysteriously, the name was changed in 1985 to the 100 Grand Bar. Why? Well, as is quickly becoming my habit, I decided to go directly to the source for information. I sent off a quick email to Nestle, and the folks there responded right away, saying,

Thank you for contacting Nestlé® 100 Grand® Bar.

The name for the 100 Grand® Bar came from a 1957 quiz show called The Big Surprise. On this program, the contestant chose a subject area and was then asked to answer ten questions, ranging in value from $100 to $100,000. This sparked the idea for a new Nestle product named the $100,000 Bar. It was first introduced in 1966.

Then in 1984, the bar was changed from a one–piece bar into a 2–piece bar. The name was changed in 1985 to "100 Grand bar" because it was a popular term in the 1980's.

We appreciate your interest and hope you will visit our website often for the latest information on our products and promotions.

Um, OK. Let's see, in 1985, I was a freshman in Point Loma High. I don't remember "100 Grand" being a popular term. I must have been too busy studying Emily Dickenson to keep up on the latest trends (yea, right). But I will trust the folks at Nestle, and believe that this was, in fact, a very popular term in the 80's.

But the real fun with the 100 Grand Bar is yet to come. Besides being delicious, it has been the subject of many a radio show prank. On the Opie & Anthony show at WAAF -FM in Boston, MA, the hosts offered "100 Grand" to the 107th caller. Unfortunately, the winner's response to this little practical joke is unfit to post here, but I have to admit, it's pretty darn funny. Well, funny because it happened to somebody else... 

Perhaps more than any other candy bar, the 100 Grand has implanted itself in our popular culture. Remember this little gem?

And here's something a little more contemporary for all you fans of "The Office" from the Episode, "Business School":

Yea, that one may be showing up again in another post. OK, just one more, to prove my point. This comes to us from a "Seinfeld" episode, "The Dealership". Granted, the 100 Grand Bar isn't the star here, but it's still darn funny!

Yes, the 100 Grand Bar not only gives us chocolately , caramely, crunchy goodness, it also gives us hours of entertainment! Hopefully it will continue to do so for many years to come. In fact, I'm running down to the store right now to get one. Maybe I can use it to buy a new car.

Credit where credit is due: The $100,000 Grand ad at the top of this post comes to us courtesy of Old Time Candy.

UPDATE: Oh! One more thing! I mentioned before that this is not a blog dedicated to tasting and rating candy, but if you would like to see a good review of the 100 Grand Bar, you can visit CandyAddict. 

Where Have All the Mars Bars Gone?

Thanks to Lisa Byrnes of Clairemont, I now have the topic for my next CandyBlog! Lisa asks, "Can you tell me why Mars Bars disappeared... and can only be found in dark chocolate English style now?" 

After doing some research, I found several possible explanations. Some of my favorites include:

"George W Bush doesn't care about Mars Bars."

"God blessed us with the High 5 Bar and nothing else matters anymore."

"The English can't be trusted to determine what tastes good."

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the above quotes do not necessarily reflect the views of CandyGirl or any of her affiliates. I apologize if George W. Bush, English palates, or the makers of the High 5 Bar are hurt or offended by the above opinions.

While all of these theories are truly fascinating, none of them explain the strange and sudden disappearance of the "original" Mars bar in 2000. But first, a little history lesson on the Mars Candy Company, which I will refer to from here on out as "The Nougat Empire". Follow closely, deciphering Mars corporate history is a little like unravelling the Da Vinci Code.

The Mars Candy Company started in 1911 when "The King of Nougat", Frank C. Mars, began selling butter creme candies from his kitchen in Tacoma, Washington. One thing led to another, and by 1929, the Nougat Empire had moved to Chicago, where they make their nougat-filled confections to this day. In 1932, the King of Nougat gave his son, Forrest E. Mars, some seed money and the Milky Way recipe so that he could start his own candy company. The Prince of Nougat sailed off to England to find his fortune, and began selling the Mars Bar, which we in the States called a Milky Way. The Mars Bar was introduced in the United States in 1936 with a slightly different formula, since the English Mars Bar already existed in the United States as the Milky Way. The United States Mars Bar contained nougat and almonds topped with caramel and covered in chocolate as opposed to nougat, caramel and dark chocolate. And everyone was happy (if not a little confused) until 2000, when the Mars Bar mysteriously disappeared.

So I asked the folks over at Mars, what the heck happened? And this was what they had to say:

The MARS ALMOND BAR is no longer being marketed. Instead we have taken the MARS ALMOND BAR and enhanced the formula to create a better tasting chocolate and almond bar. The new bar is being remarketed as SNICKERS ALMOND BAR.
SNICKERS ALMOND BAR is now available in stores. We hope you will give it a try.
Have a great day!
Your Friends at Mars Snackfood US

While this doesn't really answer the question of why, it does prove that at least the Mars tradition of constantly changing a candy's name is alive and well! But all kidding aside, I decided to run over to the 7-11 across the street and give this new and enhanced formula a try. Let me start by saying that there are several blogs out there devoted to tasting and rating candy with a system so elegant and precise that it would put the best French sommelier to shame. This is not one of those blogs. But my humble opinion of this candy bar is this: if you love nougat, the King of Nougat will not disappoint you in this candy bar. Is it exactly the same as the original U.S. Mars bar? Not quite, but it's pretty darn good. I agree with our friends at Mars Snackfood US - you should give it a try.

And now, a little nostalgic entertainment for you, compliments of Old Time Candy

Candy Buttons

I love candy, but I was a little stumped when I sat down to write my very first CandyBlog. So many possibilities! And it had to be great! It had to be truly inspired! It had to knock your socks off! So I started surfing the net in search of inspiration, and that's when I found it. So beautiful in its simplicity - classic, but oddly post-modern. That's right! I'm talking about Candy Buttons, folks!

Candy buttons are small rounded pegs of candy (almost pure sugar, I believe) that are attached to a strip of paper. The three flavors on each strip are cherry, lime and lemon. Originally owned by the Cumberland Valley Company, they are now manufactured by NECCO, who produces 3/4 billion Candy Buttons a year. 

What I remember about Candy Buttons is that they were cheap and would supply us kids with a steady stream of sugar all day long, much to our parents' chagrin. We always bought them at Buford's Candy Store in Ocean Beach, and when Buford closed his doors, I thought they were lost to me forever. But they're not! I recently discovered them at North Park Vaudeville and Candy Shop, and the wonderful magic of Candy Buttons was back!

But, while I thought that Candy Buttons were only good for eating, I was so wrong! The folks over at Nylon Magazine have given them a whole new use - fashion! I give you the Candy Button Dress! Perfect for your next... I'll let you decide what it's perfect for.

Yes, Candy Buttons are truly a multi-purpose candy, and the perfect way to kick off the CandyGirl Blog!