Monday, October 24, 2005

Abba Zaba

Name: Abba Zaba
Brand: Anabelle
Place Purchased: gift (but I’ve seen them at 7-11)
Price: $.85
Size: 2.0 ounces
Calories per ounce:
Type: Chew/Peanut Butter

Again, I grew up on the eastern seaboard, so some of the candies I see on the west coast are unfamiliar to me. Abba Zabas are one of them. I think we had something similar, but I can’t recall what it was. The website for Annabelle’s is quaint, circa 1996, and entirely sincere like the candy. It’s a little disturbing that the ingredients label on the candy spells it Palm Kernal instead of kernel, but I have to admit that many spelling mistakes have made to the screen in this site.

Abba Zabas are a white taffy with a stripe of peanut butter in the center. If you open the package and take it out, it looks like a white subway tile and kind of sounds like one if you whack it on the side of the table. They’re dangerous things, really, the taffy is firm and sticky, so if you have any sort of dental work (fillings, crowns, bridges, dentures) you’re liable to lose it or loosen it. If you have firmly planted teeth, you’re probably their target consumer.

I found the taste to be very nice, the sweet taffy is a really good backdrop to the peanut butter, but I have to admit that I prefer either a hard candy shell on my peanut butter or a molasses chew like Mary Janes or Peanut Butter Kisses. The dental destroying qualities are just too overwhelming for me, so I’ll leave this one to the kids.

Rating - 4 out of 10.

POSTED BY Cybele AT 9:31 am Tracker Pixel for Entry     CandyReviewAnnabelle'sChewsPeanuts4-BenignUnited States

Comments
  1. That’s it. The one I knew.

    I never particularly cared for them, either. They seemed too healthy for me as a kid.

    Comment by russ on 12/31/69 at 4:00 pm #
  2. It reminds me of a “white mystery” flavor Airheads candy in appearance. I used to love Airheads as a kid. Nowadays, I practically never see them around.

    Comment by Samantha on 12/31/69 at 4:00 pm #
  3. I’ve tried them before from an aunt’s candy bag.  They are ok, but they seem to be a weird combination - peanuts and taffy.  Perhaps we are spoiled by Reese’s chocolate and peanutty combinations?

    Comment by Andrea on 12/31/69 at 4:00 pm #
  4. I’ve found that Abba Zabbas usually come in varying chewiness..  I’ve had some that were so rock hard that I threw then away after having out a couple of teeth, but others, the ones that REALLY redeem these for me, have been soft and chewy and really delicious for me.  (:

    Comment by Grace on 12/31/69 at 4:00 pm #
  5. I used to get the Abba Zabbas every time we went on a camping trip. That and a candy bar called “Big Hunk”. Parents would give us three bucks to load up at Payless before we headed out (that bought a lot of candy in the 70s). Yeah, that is funny about the chewiness because I seemed to have that same problem as well with a few Abbas being at teeth-breaking hardness.

    Comment by Bryan on 12/31/69 at 4:00 pm #
  6. Having an Abba-Zabba is like having one of those big, drippy, sour pickles at the fair. It’s not a five minute snack, it’s an afternoon of nibbling. When I quit smoking, these were a life saver.

    Comment by Natty on 12/31/69 at 4:00 pm #
  7. I am also from the East Coast and have never eaten one of these.  Are they similar to Bit’O Honeys?

    Comment by Libby on 12/31/69 at 4:00 pm #
  8. Speaking of Airheads, I was recently wearing some vanilla perfume and my son said to me, “Mom, you smell like an Airhead.” We are big candy lovers in this family.

    Comment by Suzanne on 12/31/69 at 4:00 pm #
  9. Cybele's avatar

    Okay, I feel really silly, but I’ve never had airheads ... I’ll have to seek them out (I think I saw them at 7-11).

    Comment by Cybele on 12/31/69 at 4:00 pm #
  10. Yes, they sort of remind me of Bit o’ Honey’s on some level, but even better! And it’s freaky to have an all white candy bar.

    Comment by JP on 7/07/06 at 6:06 pm #
  11. Okay—I type this as I eat my third Abba Zabba ever—and probably pulling out a few fillings for good measure.  Abba Zabba’s one and two were also eaten today. I’m from the east coast and had never seen Abba Zabba’s before.  Then, the admissions director at my daughter’s school and I were having a passionate talk about halloween candy—and she said these were her favorite.  Luckily, Long’s had them 1/2 price, so I bought a bag.  I also wanted to see if Cybele had reviewd them, as she is my candy idol.  And you know?  I like ‘em.  I really like ‘em.  I like the juxtaposition of the chewy candy and the squirt of creamy peanut butter.  I thought they might be a good candy when you’re trying not to eat too much—b/c they last so long and are so much work, but, having just devoured three today, I’m not so sure that that hypothesis is correct!

    As to the whiteness—at when I first unwrapped it, I thought there was more plastic wrap on it—it was so shiny.  After trying unsuccessfully to peel the non-existent wrapper off the candy, I finally realized it WAS the candy.  I am now of the opinion that the whiteness is great—no food coloring added.  Too bad there’s the whole corn syrup thing. . .

    Comment by Karen on 11/06/06 at 4:13 pm #
  12. I personally love Abba Zabbas. My friend tipped me off that the key to eating these is warming them up for a little bit. If you keep the wrapper neat, you can heat it back up after it gets hard again. My personal preference is to keep them on the defroster in my car and when i take it off, it’s 100% soft and chewy.

    Comment by Steven on 3/18/08 at 5:46 pm #
  13. Abba Zabba, ever since I saw Half Baked I wanted to try these, and then I did, and they were strange, but not particularly tasty oh well.

    Comment by Pete on 6/30/08 at 6:56 am #
  14. Abba Zabba now comes in a sour apple flavor. I love them they are sweet not sour at all. If you haven’t had them I would love to send you a couple. If you have I would love to see your review.

    Comment by Jeni on 10/24/08 at 1:01 pm #
  15. DESPERT” 
    Where I can purchase AbbaZabba’s Or “Mountain Bar” without being charged $9.00 for UPS!Thats just for a few ounces when I ordered 6’ Abbas from a business on the net.No one wants to ship U.S.P.O. which is alot cheaper from the East Coast to the West. Im not CHEAP but dont like Ripoffs thats all. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
            Handshakes Larry West Hills CA

    Comment by Larry Bowers on 11/25/08 at 12:28 pm #
  16. FILLINGS?  OMG!!!

    Do you not know to suck this candy!

    Comment by Scion Xb on 12/02/08 at 4:22 pm #
  17. i am desperately trying to find abba zaba full size bars in pittsburgh. i lived in detroit for a few years and ate these constantly. im 38 now, last time i had 1 i was 19.can anyone help me out? i cant find them at any retail stores here.

    Comment by gorecore72 on 1/06/11 at 5:45 pm #
  18. I’m from the Kansas City area and have never heard of it except on Captain Beefheart’s GREAT album, Safe as Milk. R.I.P. Captain! So THAT’S where he got that! That album cover has that Abba Zaba black and yellow checkerboard look. GREAT SONG!  There’s also that reefer movie Half Baked that’s got this stoner dreaming of a giant Abba Zaba pack.

    Comment by Stephen Sweigart on 2/05/11 at 4:42 am #
  19. Here’s the secret to make them 10x better and edible to everyone, even people with dentures or fillings.

    For the smaller 12g one, put it in the microwave for 5 seconds flip it and put it in for 3 to 4 seconds. You’ll just be able to pick it up and it’s soft and gooey, it’s sooo much better. If you put it in a little too long you can still eat it with a fork. So make sure you have it in a plate, but if you do it for just a few seconds over it’ll be really hot, so be careful.

    If you’re going to try the full size one I recommend doing 6 seconds, flip it and another 4 and if it is soft to the touch, if not, just put it back in for just a second or two at a time.

    The perfect amount of time is when you can just pick it up by hand with it trying to stick to the plate, but not stuck.

    Comment by Travis Fraser on 4/24/12 at 6:07 am #
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