They call them Special for a reaon, you know ...

[cosmolinguist]

My parents brought a bag of those miniature Hershey's candy bars with them when they came to pick me up on Saturday. Mutti asked me if I wanted some, but I didn't. By the time I thought I'd like a little candy, I noticed that there were only four left, two regular Hershey's and two Krackel. I took one of the regular ones, which is what I'd really wanted anyway, but that got me to thinking about the hierarchy of chocolate.

The dark chocolate always goes first. My mom and I wage informal war over this; we both like those Special Darks so much. (Plus, there never seem to be as many of those ... but that may just be because they seem to disappear so fast.) Next are the Mr. Goodbars; these used to be my favorite before I learned the joys of dark chocolate, but I still find the peanut/chocolate combination quite pleasing (which, Jenn, is not the same as "pleasant"!). Then I suppose would be the milk chocolate, with the rice crispy Krackels lagging behind. They're the unloved, the pariahs, the untouchable of assorted candy miniatures in my family.

But I remember being with some friends and a bag of Hershey's assorted miniatures. By habit I grabbed all the dark chocolate I could; I was surprised at how easy this was. Then I realized that I didn't have competition from my mom, and commented on this. One of my friends (I'd say who, but I can't remember who else is involved in this story) said that the dark chocolate's always the last to go for his/her family; they like the crispy-rice ones best. So I had to point of the irony of that; as I previously stated, those are least popular in my family.

I know it's dumb and trivial, but I guess it never occurred to me that other people view candy bars so differently ... maybe that's why they say college is a mind-broadening experience.

Comments

[command-four.livejournal.com]

I like dark chocolate best, but I know lots of people who find it disgusting. Also, I like Krackel second and Mr. Goodbar last, but I'm allergic to peanuts and being Asian might make me partial to things containing rice. The rest of my family doesn't seem to express much opinion on these candy bars, except a mild agreement in my favor of the Special Dark.

[evil-grapefruit.livejournal.com]

I have a bad habit of stealing all of the Special Darks out of the bag before my family can get to them. Now we just buy a bag of Dark Chocolate... I somehow still end up eating 3/4 of the bag anyway.
Jenn

PS Pleasing as it is finding all of the chocolate gone is simply "Pleasant"... Oh and Happy 22nd HOLLY ... its your golden~

[kratkrat.livejournal.com]

Cool! A post I can get into because it's about yummy stuff, and Hershey is located in my home state.

At any rate, like the friend you mention late in your post, Special Darks were completely safe from being eaten in my family. They were always the last to go, and only my mom would eat them, almost reluctantly. My dad would make a mad dash for the Krackels, and he'd get a lot unless I was in the vicinity. After that, it was Mr. Goodbar for me, but plain for everyone else. I like the plain, too... but I should get your address, as I'd almost be willing to mail to you every Special Dark I encounter. [CHUCKLE]

Happy Birthday, BTW!

[cosmolinguist]

I'll take 'em. (You can even have my bloody Krackels, in return. I just don't understand the appeal of those things ... :-) )

See, I'm thinking, this has got to be a good way to make friends: Buy a bag, go someplace public like a coffee shop--since chocolate goes great with coffee--eat whatever you like best, and ask the people around you if they want whatever it is that you don't. Apparently it can't be that hard to find someone who likes that the best, then you'll be happy not to eat candy reluctantly (as your mom does with the Special Darks or as I do with the Krackels), and they'll be happy to have chocolate with their coffee ... and maybe you can have a nice conversation with someone.

Besides, I know from experience--several experiences, actually, including this one--that there are few things that make people as happy as random Hershey's chocolate.

No, they're not paying me to say that stuff. (Or this stuff.) Maybe they should, though...

happy b'day

[apotheon.livejournal.com]

Actually, considering all the chocolate floating around, it seems to me like perhaps college is going to broaden something other than your mind. Heh.

Thanks. :-)

[cosmolinguist]

Oh, I'm broad enough already, in that respect. :-) I even had a piece of chocolate cake tonight! I made it (yes, I made my own birthday cake), but it's my mom's awesome chocolate cake recipe.

And you wouldn't know it from anything I've said recently, but I'm actually not that big a fan of sweets. Occasionally, and in small doses (well, usually small), I find them delectable.

[silverwraith.livejournal.com]

the hierarchy in our family is Dark, Milk, Krackel, and then Mr Goodbar lagging waaaay back. I grinned when I read about you enjoying Mr Goodbars so much...I always knew that there must be someone, somewhere, who could call the peanut-chocolate combo their favorite.

[cosmolinguist]

I'm tellin' ya, it'd be a good way to make friends. "Here, take this candy (that I don't like)!" "Wow, candy for me? And that's my favorite! How did you know?" Then I'd laugh maniacally and run away.

[ivana-duboise.livejournal.com]

I'm a fan of chocolate and caramel ... of course those aren't put in the Hershey random-packs.

[cosmolinguist]

I don't miss it; I'm not a huge fan of caramel myself ... except I do like Snickers. I just don't like eating something so sticky.

[karaksindru.livejournal.com]

Those four are exactly oppositely arranged in my candy hierarchy ... I love the Krackles. I usually hoard them, and eat them last.

Happy belated birthday. :)

[autumnsshadow.livejournal.com]

Also interesting is how our tastes evolve.
I used to hate dark chocolate as a kid, but I love the Special Darks now =)

[cosmolinguist]

I seem to remember that being the case for me, as well. But then, I didn't like spaghetti as a kid, either. Or green vegetables. Pasta, vegetables, and chocolate are now pillars of my existence (at least as far as eating goes ... ). So, obviously, enlightenment comes with age.

Oh, and coffee. Definitely need to add that to the list of now-important things I couldn't stand being around as a younger person ...