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Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Now & Later
The little individually wrapped taffy squares start hard but become chewy. One of the original taglines for the candy was “Eat some now, save some for later.” (I remember the tune for the jingle, but nothing beyond those words.) They currently say, “Hard ‘n Fruity Now, Soft ‘n Chewy Later.” The 18 piece classic bar features the flavors Strawberry, Grape and Lime. In some ways they resemble Starburst, since they are a fruit chew (they were introduced as Opal Fruits in 1960 in the UK) or Tangy Taffy which was sold in bars that you could whack and break into bite size pieces. (That’s now discontinued.)
Wikipedia has a fun list of all the flavors known to have existed. Even today, there are a lot of flavors of Now and Later, though I never see them in stores. The most common format for the candy these days is either the pack shown here or in tubs of either mixed flavors or single flavors. I ate a lot of these as a kid. They came in 5 cent packs (little stacks of the squares), so were easy to buy even when I had little money. But I gave up on them later as I got my permanent teeth. There was something anxiety-producing as I wasn’t disciplined enough to just let them soften in my mouth, I had to chew them while they were still hard and then anchor my jaw together.
Lime: the neon green wax wrapper is matched by the neon green color of the candy. It’s very tangy and has the flavor of Lime Kool-Aid. Strawberry: is a rich pink color. The flavor is at once like strawberry jam and those Italian strawberry hard candies that have the gooey filling. Tangy, fragrant, artificial and satisfying. Now and Later don’t pretend to be healthy, there’s no real fruit juice in there, no detectable levels of vitamin C. They can also be considered vegan, as they contain no animal products. (But do have soy, for those who might be sensitive and are processed on machinery that also handles eggs.)
Soft Now and Later are actually soft! They’re soft enough to bend while still in the wrapper. A regular N&L is one inch square and a quarter of an inch high. The Soft N&L is one and a quarter inches square and a third of an inch high. And they come in oodles of flavors.
Grape: this was the only crossover flavor I had between the regular and soft. It has an identical flavor. The texture makes it a little less punchy at first, but after that it’s tangy and artificial to the very end. Banana : insanely chemical, so much that it’s like inhaling fingernail polish remover. Sweet and chewy, not quite as good as Laffy Taffy, but darn close. Even though they’re pretty horrible, I love them more than any of the other flavors. (I can’t explain it any further, it’s kind of like circus peanuts.) Vanilla: is a nice toasty cream color. It tastes extremely artificial, but pleasant, rather like toasted marshmallows. Much softer chew than Tootsie’s version. Chocolate: it’s a glossy-rich red-brown. It doesn’t smell like much, and really doesn’t taste like it either. Kind of like a very sweet brownie batter. The chew is nice, but overall I’d probably go with Tootsie Rolls. Watermelon: is a zap of summer in the mouth. At first it’s that fake watermelon scent, then it tastes more like real apple juice. Not at all what I expected, and fans of fake watermelon and Bonne Bell lipsmackers will probably be disappointed. Apple is a really weird light green color, almost has a cast of blue to it that makes me think it might be minty. Nope, it’s pure green apple flavor. Cherry looks exactly like the Watermelon out of the wrapper (maybe a smidge darker). It has an intense black cherry flavor, nicely tart and less medicinal than many cherry candies. The fun thing about the Soft N&L is that they are soft enough for mash-ups. I took my vanilla and chocolate and twisted them together. (It didn’t really make them any better.) Then I twisted them in with some banana. (Still not really better, just fun.) I pushed some bits of the Watermelon and Apple together and it looked horrid and tasted even worse. (But there have to be good combos in there somewhere.) As a soft taffy with intense flavors, these aren’t quite Starburst. However, they don’t have any gelatin in them (but do have egg whites, so they’re not suitable for vegans but fine for vegetarians). Other reviews: Candy Addict, Wisconsin Candy Dish & Slashfood. Related Candies
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Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.
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COPYRIGHT NOTICEAll content (text and photos unless otherwise credited) is copyright 2005-2010 by Cybele May Please do not use my photos without prior permission directly from me, they represent what I ate in preparation for these reviews and are not to be used for other purposes. Design by Hop Studios &
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These were absolutely popular on the military bases when I was a kid to the point that they were almost black marketed at school. What a flashback!
I’ve been a reader for quite some time… but this is my first post. I LOVE N&L;. I always have… they were one of my favorite candies as a kid. I specifically love the grape flavor as well. Can’t get enough of them when I see them. So glad to see this post!
I ate quite a few of these as a kid, even though I didn’t really like them much. They were too hard and I never cared for fruit chews in the first place. But they were always the cheapest thing, and when I only had a dime, they were better than nothing!
Saved my butt in those early days of quitting smoking ! Even though my mouth had sores, I didn’t care- these helped distract me from wanting a cigarette.
I loved these things! And I’m glad I’m not the only one who stopped buying them due to paranoid delusions about tearing my permanent teeth out…
I was craving these just the other day…what a shock to see you had a post about Now and Laters. I remember eating them in Middle School. They were the popular choice in the school’s store. Thanks for the post!
These are my favorite candy!
am I the only one who grew up calling these “Now OR Laters” all as one word? nowrlater
I am chewing on some Watermelon Now and Laters’ right now! This is my favorite candy of all time!!!
I wouldn’t want the “soft” ones, I like them hard and chewy.
I remember ALL of the flavors since I was a kid in the 70’s. You got 7 fat pieces in each pack of one flavor for 10 cents a pack. I would buy a dollar’s worth. I have the mouth full of fillings (although my teeth are good looking, thanks to frequent dental visits as a child) to prove it.
Chocolate
Vanilla
Grape
Orange
Banana
Fruit Punch
Apple
Cherry
Tropical Punch
Pineapple
Watermelon (my favorite)
I think they had:
Peach, and Lemon too. I may be thinking of the Jolly Rancher Sticks.
That was so long ago, but I definitely remember the ones I posted in a list above.
The new big packs, and the mixed flavors are all bootleg to me. I like the old school flavors, except for the Vanilla and Chocolate, those flavors are best left to ice cream and candy bars.
There’s a soft Now & Later, now??
I must try one.
Ah, my mouth remembers these! The special sour touch and that texture, man. Haven’t been able to bring myself to eat them for years due to fears about sticking my teeth together.
For those looking to buy Now & Later’s; CVS just added them to the front set a couple of months ago. Also carried by Rite-Aid and Family Dollar.
Does anyone remember the cinnamon, hot ones? These were hotter than Charms Hot Blow Pops, but had a more cinnamony flavor.
I used to eat those around 1971-73 when I lived in Baltimore. Wrote the company once and they said they never made them.
What about the bubble gum flavored now and laters
i remember cinnamon now and laters used to eat them when i was in junior high cant believe they say they never made them they were so good
As a kid in the 70’s, my family and I, would put all different colors together on the heater until they got soft…than un-rap them all…stacking them on top over each other (at-lease 5 pieces at a time)and put em all in our mouth! When ever I see Now and Later’s…I think back on my awesome childhood! It’s funny how something as small as a piece of candy can do that! Thanks for the good times!
Oh these were my very favourite and still are. I grew up in California in the 80’s as a kid and I ate these almost every day. You could buy 10 packs for a dollar. No one on her mentioned the flavor Cola, Rainbow which was pink and yellow and the purple and green ones which were called mystery. They did not sell these in Canada which for a 10 year old was horrible. I just found them again not too long ago, but they are not the same to me. I loved that they would be hard to chew and they made your jaw hurt. I also liked how they would get hard and break like ice when you ate them with Coke. Ahhhhhh..I miss these! Oh I loved the Banana ones too!
Hey - I remember the cinnamon ones too, as a matter of fact I logged onto this site in hopes of finding were I may purchase some. sure hate to hear them deny they ever made them. if anyone should fine some by another company please send me a email. Thanks God Bless
Hey Kasey - Where did you find the old flavors ones? Did they have the Cinnamon flavor?
I recently bought some Now and Laters at a dollar store in the Detroit area. I got an assortment pack with grape, banana, strawberry, apple, cherry, peach, watermelon, and pineapple.
These Now or later things are nastyyyyy
I remember eating the cinnamon now annd laters too! This is why I too came to this site in hopes of being able to specifically purchase that exact flavor. I was horrified to hear that the company denied ever making them when I know that was my flavor as a kid along with the apple and watermelon flavor! But I must admit I loved all the flavors but was truly fond of the cinnamon ones. I’m devastated by this news!
Calvin Cherry
These are not the real Now and Laters. The real ones that cost a dime were much better because they were more hard, firm and less chewy like taffy they way these new school ones are. I dont like the ones that they sell now but I loved the ones I used to buy as a kid in the 80’s
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