Charleston Chew is a candy bar consisting of marshmallow flavored nougat covered in chocolate flavor coating. It was created in 1925 by the Fox-Cross Candy Company, founded by stage actor Donley Cross and his friend Charlie Fox.[3] The candy was named after the Charleston, a popular dance at that time.[4]
 A chocolate Charleston Chew split in half | |
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 1,761.46 kJ (421.00 kcal) |
82 g | |
| Sugars | 58 g |
| Dietary fibre | 0 g |
12 g | |
| Saturated | 7.9 g |
| Trans | 0 g |
2.6 g | |
| Vitamins | Quantity %DV† |
| Vitamin C | 0% 0 mg |
| Minerals | Quantity %DV† |
| Calcium | 4% 53 mg |
| Iron | 5% .95 mg |
| Sodium | 3% 66 mg |
Amounts converted and rounded to be relative to 38 g serving. | |
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[1] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[2] Source: Nutrition Value | |
History edit
The company was purchased in 1957 by Nathan Sloane and later sold to Nabisco in 1980. Although Sloane did not invent the Charleston Chew, he did change the candy's original form, chocolate-covered vanilla nougat.
In the 1970s, he introduced such new flavors as chocolate and strawberry.[5] Warner-Lambert purchased Charleston Chew from RJR Nabisco in 1988, then Tootsie Roll Industries purchased the brand from Warner-Lambert in 1993.
Flavors and varieties edit
The candy is available in vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry flavors. At one time, there were three additional flavours; banana, grape, and cherry.[6] "Mini Charleston Chews" are a bite-sized, similarly-shaped version of the candy bar, introduced in 1998. The original packaging for Charleston Chews was a grey box that had the brand name in a small red font at the bottom of the box.
In science and technology demonstrations edit
Charleston Chew candy bars have been used to demonstrate rheology to students in North American university geology labs.[7]
In popular culture edit
- In the 2001 song “Forgot About Dre” by Dr. Dre and Eminem, Eminem raps the line “And I’m still loco enough to choke you to death with a Charleston Chew.”
- In the adult animated sitcom The Life & Times of Tim, Charleston Chew is frequently mentioned throughout the series. When asked what would be Tim's epitaph, Steve Dildarian, the show's creator, replied: "Probably something like, 'Here lies Tim. He loved Charleston Chews.'"
- In the animated sci-fi TV series Futurama, Charleston Chew is frequently mentioned (and advertised) by the head of Richard Nixon, who is the President of Earth.[8]
References edit
- ^ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". Retrieved 2024-03-28.
- ^ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US). ISBN 978-0-309-48834-1. PMID 30844154.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Benjamin, Susan (April 9, 2016). "Secrets of the Penny Candy Jar: From Tootsie Rolls to Necco Wafers, the Real Story Behind Every Nostalgic Treat". Salon. Retrieved 2017-09-17.
- ^ The back of the box of Mini Charleston Chews.
- ^ "Nathan Sloane, 97, Candy Bar Maker, Dies". The New York Times. Associated Press. August 18, 2006.
- ^ "Fox-Cross Candy Company Magazine ad, showing additional flavours".
- ^ Weil, Arlo Brandon (9 November 2004). Deformation of Charleston Chew Candy Bars as a Rheology Analogue in the Structural Geology Classroom. Denver Annual Meeting. Geological Society of America. Paper No. 145-8. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "3 things we learned from the Futurama AMA | The Young Folks". 2017-07-15. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
External links edit
- Tootsie Roll Industries Charleston Chews product page
- Nathan Sloane and the candy business The Boston Phoenix (15 September 1981)