Audio By Carbonatix
The history of the Ferrara
Pan Candy Company has Salvatore Ferrara coming to
from
in 1900 to start a small company that sold Italian pastries and
almonds. In 1919,
joined forces with his brothers-in-law to form a partnership that offered a “wide variety of confections.” Today the company is most famous for
iconic candies like Boston Baked Beans, Lemonheads, Atomic Fireballs and Red
Hots.
We don’t know how far down the
family line or how many cousins removed you have to go in order to arrive at
Juicy Oozers Sour Gummy Fun Bugs, but we have a feeling this probably
wasn’t in Salvatore Ferrara’s vision for the future of his company, even one
that included a “wide variety of confections.” The bug-shaped
gummies were launched in February of this year under the company’s
Forest
the shape of worms, fish, sharks and bears.
Perhaps the most disturbing part of
the packaging is the cricket-type bug on the front, kicking it back all chill
with his arms behind his head, while his stomach is exploding juicy ooze.
We can’t quite call the bug’s expression “happy,” though a hint of a
smile plays at his lips. We’re wandering in the creepy territory of anthropomorphized
food here, but our love for sour gummy candies requires us to look
past this and go for the goo.
Once out of the package, the sour sugar sanding makes the
bugs fairly indistinguishable as such, lucky for us. Similar to the Starburst
GummiBursts in composition, the bugs actually deliver a better treat. The
coating provides a slight crunch and counterbalances the chewy body and the
oozy, liquid center. Sourness is key, and these pack a satisfying jolt to the
tongue. The four flavors — cherry, watermelon, green apple and strawberry —
are all yummy, though the yellow hue of the watermelon is disorienting. In spite of the gimmicky packaging and idea, these little bugs make a tasty treat.
So fear not, Signor Ferrara:
your great-great-grand nephew twice removed has done you good.
Would we finish the package? Yes
Would we buy again? We would!
Rating: 4 out of 5
