Beloved Toffees and Candies from Our Childhood
Let me guess! You are in your 20s. You were born somewhere in the 1980s. You lived in one of the small towns in India. Your pocket money while you were growing up was less than Rs. 10 per week. Well if I am right about all those points up there, I know a little more about you. Let us go back to our childhood and reminisce about the heavenly taste of our favorite sweets back then.
Table of Contents
Beloved Toffees and Candies from Our Childhood
1. Mango Bite
I don’t know, why I did not like real mangoes because I love the mango bite quite alright. Well, the bet is you still can’t forgo a mango bite.
The look of it, makes you go back to the times when you would race up to your nearest shop, with a 50 paise coin on your palm, asking for this yellow magnificent candy.
2. Kismi Bar
This is was a level up. The toffee was called Kismi Bar however the prominent taste was that of elaichi (cardamom). The name said Kismi Bar which looks to be derived from Kismis (raisins) and our taste buds yelled Elaichi. Well, let us put the confusion aside for a while and remember that glorious taste of the wonder sweet.
3. Swad
Tangy and salty, the candy was true to its name. The tickling effect it had on our taste buds was enough to make us craving for another one as soon as the first one was finished.
4. Pan Pasand
Kids are not allowed to have betel leaves like elders but that does not mean that we could not have something else that was close to betel’s taste. Every kid loved the color and the taste of Pan Pasand those days.
5. Hajmola
Some people said that if you have too many hajmolas on empty stomach, your organs might get digested and we sort of believed it. Today we can look back and laugh at the ridiculous theory. However, this theory is the only thing that could make us stop before we wiped this earth clean of hajmolas as kids.
6. Melody
Melody hai chocolaty meaning Melody is chocolaty. If I remeber correctly, melody was always more expensive than other toffees those days thus was reserved for special occasions. However, some friends’ birthdays were more important only because he/she brought melodies to distribute.
7. Chatar Matar
Finding the cumin seed in the middle of every chatar matar particle was a common game for kids. Our uncles, elder brothers and neighborhood people could surprise and make us happy by bringing up these small tasty dots.
8. Gems
The occasional chocolate. The sorting of the color and pretending that those were different colored medicines meant to cure different illness was a common practice. Siblings rivalry over which color would one get was another common thing. Well, gems was and would always be gems. The best part of our childhood candy eating spree.
9. Orange Candies
The omnipresent candies were everybody’s favorite and this was most probably the oldest and the best candy that came in various shapes and sizes but that never changed its awesomeness.
10. Poppins
Colored sugared and flavored candies were a thing to show off for most of the kids. One poppins and we felt like some rich guy. Oh! Those were the wonderful days of life when small things gave us all our happiness.
11. Chiclets
Chick chick chick chick chiclets. I think that is enough!
12. Phantom Cigarettes
The heroes in movies looked so cool smoking that we had our own version of smoking. In the chilly mornings of winters, even the smoke came out from these very fake cigarettes. Miss it?
Life was easier and it was just simpler to be happy. If we only simplify our lives once again, may be these sweets would bring in the same sweetness it used to bring to to our days then. By the way which one of the above is/was your favorite? Let us know in the comments <3
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wow, a great compilation. My favorite were Mango bite and Poppins, stilla re. My daughters favorite is Hajmola. I loved reading your article.
orange candies are not the omnipresent candies
Hey Shilpa,
Loved reading your compilation! It sure did made my day..any idea where I can still buy these from..have to send them as a gift to a friends in US.
Tx
Svetlan,
Thanks a ton for liking. Where do you stay? Let me find some place near you where you could buy these.
I live in a small locality situated in East Delhi which goes by the name of Mayur Vihar
Hmmm.. I know Mayur Vihar.. Well, Can not give you a specific shop however you could find Pan pasand in a lot of small shops across Laxmi Nagar. If you are looking to buy full packets, may be you should go to Chandni chowk market.
Kismi Bar, gems, mango bites and melody is also readily available in markets. For rest, I invite Delhi people to chip in their suggestions.