Friday, February 16, 2007

Doscher’s French Chew Taffy

A long time ago there was a taffy called Bonomo’s Turkish Taffy. It was not Turkish and it wasn’t even taffy. But it was made by a family named Bonomo. Though the candy behaved like taffy (it was smooth and chewy) it actually contains egg whites like a nougat (Bonomo even referred to it as a “short nougat”) and was even baked. The Turkish part of the name made some sense, as Albert Bonomo did come from Turkey. But the family admitted that they used the name because it sounded good.

The taffy was a great all year treat because it didn’t melt like chocolate or caramel bars. Though it comes in a single large bar, a little chill and a smack on the edge of a table and it would shatter into bite sized pieces.

In 1980 Tootsie Industries bought the brand and then discontinued it in 1989 citing low sales.

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Just as the Marathon caramel braid bar has its stand-in with the Curly Wurly, so does Turkish Taffy. It’s known as Doscher’s French Chew. It also comes in the same flavor array as Turkish Taffy did: Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry & Banana.

I don’t remember Turkish Taffy well enough to say that it’s an adequate replacement, so I’ll just talk about the chew on its own.

The bars are nice and big at 1.62 ounces each. You don’t have to chill the bars to break them but it helps. Sometimes I would just bend them in one direction slowly, then reverse direction quickly to cleave a good piece off.

They’re not quite as soft as something like Laffy Taffy or Airheads (totally different texture as well) but they’re less sticky than Salt Water Taffy. The egg whites and density gives it a lasting, smooth chew.

Vanilla - sweet and plain so it’s the texture here that’s the star.

Chocolate  - tastes like eating chocolate cake batter. The chocolate isn’t very rich or creamy or deep.

Banana  - a wonderful fake banana tastes that lasts all the way through the chew.

I definitely enjoyed this chew, it’s pretty smooth and not the least bit sticky on the teeth. I don’t see myself buying it very often but I liked the Banana much better than the Laffy Taffy version (which has a more latexy feel to it). Doscher’s also makes a Strawberry chew.

Doscher’s is a small factory in Cincinnati, OH. They also make candy canes and other chews. They’ve been around since 1871. They sometimes make seasonal flavors like Green Apple for Halloween.

Name: French Chew: Vanilla, Chocolate & Banana
    RATING:
  • 10 SUPERB
  • 9 YUMMY
  • 8 TASTY
  • 7 WORTH IT
  • 6 TEMPTING
  • 5 PLEASANT
  • 4 BENIGN
  • 3 UNAPPEALING
  • 2 APPALLING
  • 1 INEDIBLE
Brand: Doscher's
Place Purchased: Economy Candy (via web)
Price: $.75 each
Size: 1.62 ounces
Calories per ounce: 99
Categories: Chew, United States

POSTED BY Cybele AT 7:06 am Tracker Pixel for Entry    

Comments
  1. where do you find all of this candy? I never find what you publish! =(

    Comment by Brittany on 2/16/07 at 2:34 pm #
  2. “wonderful fake banana taste”?  I find that to be a nearly unholy oxymoron.  While I love fresh bananas (particularly slightly green ones, which I find to have a really nice tang to them), I have trouble handling banana chips, and basically throw out any artificial banana candy I am unlucky enough to procure.  Most of the time I find fumes they release in my mouth have that thick, nearly tactile quality that characterizes nail polish vapors.  Ick.

    Comment by David A. Spitzley on 2/19/07 at 5:25 am #
  3. Hey, 
        I just contacted the Tootsie Roll Company, and they told me that they have recently sold the trademark and the recipe of Turkish Taffy to another company that will re-introduce the product in the near future.  How’ that for great news all you Bonomo fans!!!

    Comment by Bill Werner on 9/17/07 at 2:12 pm #
  4. does a real walk in store (not on the internet) carry doscher’s taffy. If so, any around st. louis, mo?

    Comment by jajew on 11/18/07 at 11:56 am #
  5. I get the vanilla at just about any Cracker Barrel. See http://www.frenchchewcandy.com/home_page.php .
    Now if I can just figure out how to get the wrapper off. Sometimes it’s impossible.

    Comment by Milt on 9/22/08 at 11:11 am #
  6. I have found the vannilla at Cracker Barrel and love it.  It reminds me of the turkish taffy that I got as a kid.  I can’t get the wrapper off.  I also fround it at Willies Farms, and a country store.  The samething, can’t get the wrapper off.  What a waste, or is there a secret?

    Comment by Donna Horsey on 10/09/08 at 8:53 am #
  7. Getting the wrapper off is easy.  Just lift the fold in the back and start tearing from the end. The wrapper will tear neatly down the middle and enable you to eat right off the wrapper.  I’d like to know if I can buy the taffy by the case.  The store where we get it can’t keep it in stock.

    Comment by Brenda Stickler on 4/05/09 at 8:29 am #
  8. I have been searching for Bonomo’s Turkish Taffy for years and finally found Doscher’s in Nisswa, MN. I haven’t had Bonomo’s since the mid ‘80’s and this French chew is very close in flavor but not as creamy or chewy. Thanks to one of the responses, I bought some at Cracker Barrel and put it in the freezer.

    Comment by Skip Youngdale on 8/20/09 at 12:34 pm #
  9. I have a mom & pop country store in Quinton, NJ. Bud’s Country Market. We carry all the flavors of the French Chew as well as a host of other hard to find Candies. If you are ever in the area stop in and visit us.

    Comment by Bud Ayars on 2/06/10 at 12:56 pm #
  10. Had one not long ago tasted awful not at all as I remembered as a younger person never hard to unwrap only this last one not same taste either they had to change the formula old ones never even tasted bad stale only got hard and would soften up in your mouth used either corn starch or powdered sugar to keep them from sticking to the wrapper

    Comment by Bill boesken on 8/29/16 at 4:19 pm #
  11. Hey, in the Curly Wurly section, for some reason you didn’t allow any more posting, but on that Manfred Mann song Blinded by the Light, the Early Pearly came by in his Curly Wurly lyrics refer to a helicopter as mentioned,m but also I think it was birdy whirly..

    Comment by SJCarras on 3/23/17 at 8:43 pm #
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