One of the great philosophical divides among candy connoisseurs is the split between those who like Nerds, versus those who prefer Runts.  Oddly enough, in my experience there is no point trying to get Nerds lovers to like Runts, or vice versa.  In the interests of fostering an open dialogue, I will state for the record that I prefer Nerds.

The funny thing about the schism is that Nerds and Runts are pretty much the exact same candy, but in a different size and shape.  This is actually true of most of the Willy Wonka candy line, but nowhere is the similarity as remarkable as with Nerds and Runts.

Nerds are tiny and irregularly shaped, little nuggets like miniature asteroids.  Whereas Runts, their showier cousin, are purportedly shaped like the fruit their taste is meant to resemble.  The banana is a reasonably accurate resemblance, I will give you that.  The orange and green apple are both simply spherical - fair enough.  But the strawberry Runts are shaped like hearts.  No matter how hard I try, I cannot see them as being strawberry shaped.

(Random fact: according to Wikipedia, the same person was responsible for the creation of both candies.  Angelo Fraggos, Brand Manager for the Willy Wonka Candy Company, created Nerds in 1983 and Runts in 1985.)

Nerds come in a far wider spectrum of flavors than Runts, probably partly because the Nerds product line can be experimented with much more easily.  They don't have to create an entirely different shape each time!  The classic presentation of Nerds is in a box with two compartments, with two separate flavors, one in each compartment.  I remember that part of the fun was in picking which flavor you wanted, and sometimes you had to hit several stores before you found the right combination.

When I purchased a box of Nerds recently on my nostalgia candy kick, it was "Rainbow Nerds."  This is a larger box, with a bunch of different Nerds flavors all mixed together.  I have to admit, I didn't like it as much.  It had the same problem as eating a handful of Jelly Bellys - if you eat a mouthful of mixed Nerds flavors, all you taste is "sweet."  The flavors, such as they are, all blend together in the mouth.

Wikipedia also reminds me that the 1980s were the decade of Nerds superiority, and also included a limited release of Nerds Cereal.  Which I remember trying.  It was fairly awful.  Like Froot Loops, but sweeter.  My teeth ache to think of it.

Runts, meanwhile, were never my favorite.  Due largely to the presence of the banana Runt, which was a jarring departure from the rest of the Runts in both flavor and form factor.  The banana Runts are a lot harder to the tooth than the others, and I'm always mildly concerned that a shard of banana Runt will break off and stab me in the gumline.  I also don't care for banana flavored things as a rule.

The other flavors of Runt, I have decided, are fairly innocuous.   They have a nice crunch to them, and if Willy Wonka ever puts out a banana-free variety of Runts, I'll be first in line.  Until then?  I'm sticking to my Nerds.

Creative Commons-licensed image courtesy of Flickr user Special