When Bonomo’s Turkish Taffy was discontinued by Tootsie back in the late eighties, candy fans searched far and wide for an adequate simulation. For years candy stores suggested Doschers Famous French Chew Taffy. (I even tried it.) But earlier this year Bonomo’s Turkish Taffy returned. I tried the other flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate & Strawberry, but when I picked them up, I also decided to get a package of the Banana in both the Bonomo & Doscher’s brand to compare head-to-head.
As far as the stats go, they’re a little different on a few fronts. I paid $1.99 for the Bonomo and only 99 cents for the Doscher’s. The Bonomo bar is slightly smaller at 1.5 ounces to the Doscher’s 1.62. The ingredients are similar, both are basically corn syrup, sugar and egg whites. The Bonomo uses mono- & di-glycerides while the Doscher’s uses hydrogenated soybean oil (only 1 gram of fat for the bar, so it’s not that much) and a dash of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).
Bonomo’s Banana is on the bottom left and the Doscher’s Banana is on the top right.
Both bars are artificially colored. The Doscher’s is a little more dusty yellow than the Bonomo. Doscher’s feels lighter and fluffier, in fact, when I bend it, it’s more pliable. It’s like it has a little air folded in, more like a nougat than a taffy.
The Bonomo is very smooth. It’s a bit stiff at first to chew, but the flavor is bold and consistent. The banana is a bit artificial, relying only on that circus peanut note instead of some other things like vanilla to round it out.
The Doscher’s tastes a little more starchy in comparison, like a Nilla Wafer with banana flavoring. The airy texture seems to make it dissolve quicker, so I actually went through the bars in about the same amount of time. The flavor wasn’t as intense but also seemed friendlier.
On the whole, they’re different but similar enough for me to lump them into a list of taffy products that are descent enough but just not my thing. If you’re a die hard fan of either, I can see why you can’t just swap one for the other.
Related Candies
- Bonomo’s Turkish Taffy - Chocolate, Vanilla & Strawberry
- Banana n Cream & Red Orange Mentos
- Bit-O-Honey
- Elvis Reese’s Peanut Butter and Banana Cup
- Doscher’s French Chew Taffy
- Tootsie Roll Mini Chews
Name: |
Bonomo’s Banana Turkish Taffy |
RATING:
- SUPERB
- YUMMY
- TASTY
- WORTH IT
- TEMPTING
- PLEASANT
- BENIGN
- UNAPPEALING
- APPALLING
- INEDIBLE
|
Brand: |
Warrell Corp |
Place Purchased: |
Albanese Candy Factory Outlet (Merrilville, IN) |
Price: |
$1.99 |
Size: |
1.5 ounces |
Calories per ounce: |
106 |
Categories: |
Candy, Chews, Kosher, 6-Tempting, United States |
Name: |
Banana French Chew |
RATING:
- SUPERB
- YUMMY
- TASTY
- WORTH IT
- TEMPTING
- PLEASANT
- BENIGN
- UNAPPEALING
- APPALLING
- INEDIBLE
|
Brand: |
Doscher |
Place Purchased: |
Albanese Candy Factory Outlet (Merrilville, IN) |
Price: |
$.99 |
Size: |
1.62 ounces |
Calories per ounce: |
99 |
Categories: |
Candy, Chews, 6-Tempting, United States |
Thank you for reviewing these! I ate lots of them while I was growing up but back then I didn’t know anything about any of the drawbacks you point out.
Just seeing your pics of them brings back the taste, feel, and smell!
Hoorah for Bonomo’s. Wasn’t a B. rep at the All Candy Expo the year before last saying there is no substitute? I am a fan of all things that will rip out your fillings and think the French Chew decent enough.
Funny, just mentioning the original Turkish Taffy in a lament on the death of good candy stores in town.
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