I think Good & Plenty is being criminally neglected in the candy aisle today.  This is simultaneously one of the best and one of the least popular candies.  Mention the name to any random stranger and they will scrunch up their face in childish disgust.

I think our collective dislike of Good & Plenty is indeed childish, stemming from a child's perspective.  I don't know about you, but when I was a kid, I loved Lik 'M Aid and Pixy Sticks.  I obviously was no judge of candy, much less an arbiter of taste.  Good & Plenty tasted like death to me back then.  But then again, so did things like coffee, bourbon, feta cheese, and Brussels sprouts - all of which I enjoy tremendously as an adult.  (Although not all together.)

Good & Plenty is a grown-up's candy.  From its (relative) lack of sweetness to its mingled flavors of molasses and anise, this candy is pitched toward the adult's palate.  Although technically a black licorice candy, its flavor is darker and more complex than your regular old black jelly bean.

This is also one of the few shelled candies where the shell really does a service to the candy itself.  Typically a candy shell will be waxy, and either flavorless or leaving a funny chemical aftertaste.  The Good & Plenty candy shell, on the other hand, has a delicate anise flavor.  It also gives a nice crunchy texture, and provides a little kick of sweetness.  The center is toothsome and chewy, unlike many licorice candies which are either too tender (Red Vines) or too crumbly (Allsorts).

Another benefit to Good & Plenty is that they are a great value.  You get about twice as much Good & Plenty, dollar for dollar, as you do of more high-profile candies like M&Ms.  Is there anything more grown-up than shopping for a good value?  I think not.

If I were in charge of the Good & Plenty marketing department, I would start targeting adults.  I'd buy ad space in grown-up spaces like This American Life, Newsweek magazine, and office supply stores.  Good & Plenty deserves a lot better than what it's getting.  Which as far as I can tell is "squat."

Good & Plenty is the oldest branded candy in the United States, having been in continuous production since 1893.  I can absolutely imagine it belonging to the era of patent medicines.  Speaking of which, there are a lot of publicized health benefits to licorice, which is creating a licorice renaissance of sorts.  Licorice is a surprisingly complex substance from a chemistry perspective, and contains a lot of antioxidants, antiviral, and antifungal compounds.  Licorice is touted as being helpful for everything from skin problems and PMS, to AIDs and cancer.

One thing I'm not clear on is whether these health benefits come from licorice the plant (which is the flavor that candies like Good & Plenty strive to replicate using flavorings like anise) or licorice the candy.  And surprisingly, I can't find any clarification on that.  If you know, will you drop me a line?

Creative Commons-licensed image courtesy of Flickr user GenBug