The Charleston Chew

 Candy Bar Favorite! The Charleston Chew is a chewy nougat wrapped in a rich, chocolate coating - a delicious classic. But the nougat is more or less nougat-ish, making the Charleston Chew unique among candy bars. This nougat is soft and creamy, more like a taffy than nougat, and the chocolate spread evenly, enrobing the whole bar. The first Charleston Chew was vanilla. Strawberry and chocolate came next. As for the Charleston "crack." That was part of a campaign sweeping the candy industry. Freeze your Charleston Chew, then crack it, and have a crunchy, rather than smooth and creamy, chocolate bar experience.

Chocolate Fact: How the Charleston Chew Was Invented

Don’t be deceived by the title. We really are talking about the Charleston Chew which is not exactly a taffy and not exactly a toffee and to be perfectly honest, I’m not exactly sure what it is. But I can tell you this: The Charleston Chew, that dense marshmallow-taffy-toffee substance covered with chocolate is more like the Mary Jane, in spirit anyway, than the Heath Bar. 

It was made in 1925 and spent most of it life in Boston, which is one Zipper connection, although most people think it’s about Charleston South Carolina and, I imagine, has a pretty good following there. The other connection is that the Charleston Chew is tied to prohibition, named for the dance, the Charleston, not the city, which showed up in movies with flappers dancing merrily in-between sips of the Zipper (quite possibly) and other speakeasy drinks.

While we’re discussing theater and dancing, the Fox Cross company who invented the Charleston Chew began when Donley Cross, a Shakespearean actor in San Francisco, fell the stage, injuring his back and ending his career. The logical next step: start a candy company with his friend, Charlie Fox. I knew, it doesn’t make sense. But that’s candy.

FROM: Susan's Book "Sweet as Sin." On Smithsonian's "Best Books about Food."

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