Candyfreak: A Journey through the Chocolate Underbelly of America

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Candyfreak: A Journey through the Chocolate Underbelly of America

3.77 of 5 stars 3.77 · rating details · 3,359 ratings · 580 reviews

Perhaps you remember the whipped splendor of the Choco-Lite, or the luscious Caravelle bar, or maybe the sublime and perfectly balanced Hershey's Cookies 'n Mint. The Marathon, an inimitable rope of caramel covered in chocolate. Oompahs. Bit-O-Choc. The Kit Kat Dark.
Steve Almond certainly does. In fact, he was so obsessed by the inexplicable disappearance of these bars--...more

Hardcover, 266 pages

Published May 4th 2004 by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill (first published 2004)

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Sep 14, 2007 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: humans

My review, 3.0:

First I would like to quote MC Pee Pants.

"I want candy, bubblegum and taffy.
Skip to the sweet shop with my girlfriend, Sandy.
Got my pennies saved. so I'm a sugar daddy.
I'm her Hume Cronyn, she my Jessica Tandy.
I want candy!

I need candy, any kind will do
Don't care if it's nutritious or FDA approved.
It's gonna make me spaz like bobcats on booze..."

etc, as the song stops being about candy.

The cover blurb calls the author "the Dave Eggers of food writing" ... which seems not only...more

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Apr 08, 2009 RandomAnthony rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

From the book, page sixteen:

Every now and then, I’ll run into someone who claims not to like chocolate or other sweets, and while we live in a country where everyone has the right to eat what they want, I want to say for the record that I don’t trust these people, that I think something is wrong with them, and that they’re probably-this must be said-total duds in bed.

Candyfreak provides way too much candy-metaphor fodder for the weak-hearted reviewer. I don’t know I can resist saying things like...more From the book, page sixteen:

Every now and then, I’ll run into someone who claims not to like chocolate or other sweets, and while we live in a country where everyone has the right to eat what they want, I want to say for the record that I don’t trust these people, that I think something is wrong with them, and that they’re probably-this must be said-total duds in bed.

Candyfreak provides way too much candy-metaphor fodder for the weak-hearted reviewer. I don’t know I can resist saying things like “the writing pulses as if Almond (of course, Almond…) were a five year old on a sugar high” or “the vivid descriptions of the nuances of biting into different candy bars sent me running to the candy store” (entirely true, by the way). So I will not resist. I’ll surrender to the flow like a log of caramel on the conveyer belt through the chocolate enrobing machine.

This book functions both as tribute to the small businessman and candyfetish pornography. Almond’s travels lead him through the factories of one-building companies struggling to survive in the shadow of the candy world’s “big three” (Nestle, Hershey, Mars). He chronicles a fading world of beautiful machines churning out regional candy bars that maybe, just maybe, you’ll find on the less desirable candy rack real estate (if you’re lucky) but not in mainstream locations or near eye-level because the company owners can’t shell out the tens of thousands of dollars necessary to place their products in the big stores. The spirit of invention lives in these factory owners as well; when they talk about product development they sound insane, honestly, in the best way possible, as if they can taste the new candy before they produce the first sample.

Almond stumbles a little when he stereotypes small town living (sir, I defy you to get on a Greyhound bus anywhere, even in your precious Boston, and find anything different than you describe. It’s not like the Bostonians on Greyhound are wearing cardigans and reading Kant.) and he slips into “I’m a successful author but pity my pathetic personal life” territory more often than he should. Still, reading Candyfreak is flat-out fun, the kind of experience that raises your pulse a little when you pick up the book, like you’re about to do something you want to do after a long day of the opposite. Almond’s descriptive powers and childlike passion carry the day. And candy bars that look like potatoes sound cool. I want one right now.

Epilogue: I would say I’d read more Almond, but I realized after I read Candyfreak that I had once picked up his Not That You Asked at the library and put it back after reading the first few pages. So, in full disclosure, the jury’s still out on Almond the author, but Candyfreak (pop) rocks.
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Jul 16, 2008 Jon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There are definite five-star sections within this book. The author travels around the U.S. to visit a number independent candy manufacturers and tell their stories. These are great parts. It is a real eye-opener to hear that in the early 20th century there were over 6000 American candy companies and now there are only 150 or so. The rise of the "Big Three" of Nestle, Hershey and Mars has made it nearly impossible for any other manufacturers to get their products into stores. Reading these parts...more

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Oct 25, 2010 Luann rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who likes chocolate

Shelves: nonfiction, adult, alex-award, 2010, biography

I had to read this one quickly because it was bad for me. Very bad. Is there anyone who has read this and didn't feel the overpowering NEED to eat chocolate while reading this book? If so, please post in the comments to this review because I want to know where you get your incredible willpower! And the problem was that if I wasn't eating chocolate, I just had to be eating something, anything, while reading this book! I defy anyone not to salivate at his descriptions of chocolate. Here's just one...more I had to read this one quickly because it was bad for me. Very bad. Is there anyone who has read this and didn't feel the overpowering NEED to eat chocolate while reading this book? If so, please post in the comments to this review because I want to know where you get your incredible willpower! And the problem was that if I wasn't eating chocolate, I just had to be eating something, anything, while reading this book! I defy anyone not to salivate at his descriptions of chocolate. Here's just one example of his description of a favorite candy bar:

The Caravelle tasted more like a pastry: the chocolate was thicker, darker, full-bodied, and the crisped rice had a malty flavor and what I want to call structural integrity; the caramel was that rarest variety, dark and lustrous and supple, with hints of fudge. More so, there was a sense of the piece yielding to the mouth. By which I mean, one had to work the teeth through the sturdy chocolate shell, which gave way with a distinct, moist snap, through the crisped rice (thus releasing a second, grainy bouquet), and only then into the soft caramel core. Oh, that inimitable combination of textures! That symphony of flavors! And how they offered themselves to the heat and wetness of the mouth--the sensation of the crisped rice drenched in melted chocolate, chomped by the molars in the creamy swirl of caramel. Oh, woe and pity unto thee who never tasted this bar! True woe! True pity!

He had me laughing from the very beginning with his bit about Baker's Chocolate as the cruelest food product ever invented. I have vivid memories of biting into that block of chocolate as a child despite warnings from my mom that I wouldn't like it.

There were parts I didn't find quite as humorous or as interesting - such as when he would veer off-topic into his thoughts on politics. But overall, I found this quite fascinating. They need to market this book with a sample box of all the candy bars mentioned! Some I had never heard of, and some I haven't eaten in a while and now need to go find, such as the Big Hunk! Ah, the memories.(less)

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Jan 24, 2008 Christy Sherrill rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

This book is sweet. The author explores why sugar makes him shallow. The redeeming fact to this sweet and shallow book is the author apologizes for this in the preface and then goes deep to find the history, facts, industry, theories and thoughts surrounding sugar. Some of my favorite quotes from the this exploration:

" So, the question: Given all this moral knowledge, how can I lead the life of a unbridled candyfreak?"

"I hate most vegetable.................I realize that I am going to hell."

" In...more This book is sweet. The author explores why sugar makes him shallow. The redeeming fact to this sweet and shallow book is the author apologizes for this in the preface and then goes deep to find the history, facts, industry, theories and thoughts surrounding sugar. Some of my favorite quotes from the this exploration:

" So, the question: Given all this moral knowledge, how can I lead the life of a unbridled candyfreak?"

"I hate most vegetable.................I realize that I am going to hell."

" In the ideal world, moms and dads would have enough time and energy to fill their children with love, and brothers would take care of one another, and there would be lots of extended family members to pick up the slack. But as the developed world has become a cold, atomized place in which people are cut off from their internal lives and therefore subject to the most basic form of self-esteem extortion -materalism- which means that they have agreed to be judged by what they eat and wear and drive, by their fitness as capitalists, as opposed to say the content of their characters.
And it goes for children as well, who are, if anything, more apt to project their emotional life onto objets rather than people. Any parent whose child has favorite blankie or sippy cup will back me up on this. What folks in the board rooms at Madison Avenue sussed out a couple decades back is this: Manipulation of family dynamic= big bucks. Thus, the guilty dad will buy off his kid. And the deprived child will learn to seek love in the material form."

"We are, are furthermore, in the midst of what I would call a radical object disconnect. For the most of human history, people essentially knew where their stuff came from........ Watching the process by which products are made reconnects us to the wonders of production............ Candy companies are servants of late-model capitalism, just as surely as Exxon and Dow. They dehumanize workers, both here and abroad, and pump out pollution and provides an indulgence that is unconscionable, given that the great many people who are starving to death-which is all the more reason to lose oneself in the trance."

I was going to put the quote about Cameron Diaz's eyeball, but after I read it again I remembered how creepy it was and that I didn't like it as much an I thought. I started reading this book at the begin of the weekend. I was addicted and didn't put it down until I finished it. When I did finish it, I felt like I had binged and was sick to my stomach.(less)

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Dec 21, 2007 Tracey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: libraryread, foodie

Checked out from the library & munched my way through it in a weekend.

If you're looking for a history of candymaking, this isn't the book for you. It's equally a memoir, and a paean to an obsession. Even though I'm not a candy bar aficionado (preferring my chocolate pure & dark), I found this exploration of the author's fascination with candy, complete with visits to regional candy makers very entertaining.

Almond (who comments on the irony of his last name) writes wryly of using candy...more Checked out from the library & munched my way through it in a weekend.

If you're looking for a history of candymaking, this isn't the book for you. It's equally a memoir, and a paean to an obsession. Even though I'm not a candy bar aficionado (preferring my chocolate pure & dark), I found this exploration of the author's fascination with candy, complete with visits to regional candy makers very entertaining.

Almond (who comments on the irony of his last name) writes wryly of using candy as a substitute for the affection he didn't always get from his family. He claims to have eaten a piece of candy every day of his life as far back as he can remember, also confessing to an extensive stash of various sweetmeats; stocking up on limited edition treats such as the transcendent Kit Kat Darks (a wise choice, IMHO).

His travels take him to meet Ray Broekel, perhaps the foremost expert on the history of American candy, writing two books (neither of which sold very well, as they're apparently a bit dull). He visits candy manufacturers in Nashville, Sioux City, Boise and the East Coast, finding fellow candy freaks in the guise of taste engineers and product developers.

His factory tours take on almost an air of pornography, as he describes in great detail the enrobers, starch moguls and other equipment of the trade, extruding and engulfing sweet treasures. Almond never turns down a sample, even if it contains cocoanut - his candy nemesis. He's not too thrilled with marshmallow, either; but the Valomilks of Kansas change his mind.

The writing is lively, self-deprecating, and at times, laugh-out-loud funny. He's occasionally in questionable taste -- the ruler that used to appear on Marathon bars... well... he used it to measure other things.. . If you like David Sedaris and his ilk, I think you'll enjoy Almond's writing as well.

I'd recommended this book to those who make their Halloween candy last til Christmas and have a strict plan for eating M&M's, regardless of what it may be.

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Oct 10, 2007 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

From a blog post in 2005:
What a fun and interesting read! The full title is Candyfreak - A Journey Through The Chocolate Underbelly of America by Steve Almond The author is a self-avowed candy addict and traces his addiction back to a childhood need for affection. His anecdotes about his childhood candy habits (hording, sorting and classifying candy as well as his Halloween strategy) and bonding with his Father (The Enabler) via candy bars are hilarious, touching and sometimes a bit sad.

The mai...more

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Aug 26, 2010 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Elizabeth by: Jenny benevento

Shelves: non-fiction, food-writing

The back jacket describes Candyfreak as 'hilarious' - I think that's a bit of a stretch. Like Not That You Asked, I found Candyfreak a quick and enjoyable read - but not one that I expect to reread.

Personally, I wish this book was more about the candy industry and the small producers Almond visited. The highlights for me were his descriptions of the candy-making processes and of the candymakers themselves - interesting, fanatical characters who were often involved in every detail of the process....more

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Mar 31, 2007 Joy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: The candy obsessed, like myself

This book has my name written all over it, and I loved it!! Now if only they would come out with a book called Cupcake Freak...Even if you haven't eaten a piece of candy every day of your entire life (like the author, Steve Almond, has), you can still appreaciate how funny this book and the author are. Also for those of you who like to read books about large coorporations taking out small local shops, consider this the candy version of that story.

Lastly, be prepared after reading this book to c...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Jayne Gordon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this laugh-out-loud funny book. It was a lot of fun to read about Mr. Almond's obsession with candy and to take a trip with him to learn how candy is made and about what goes on behind the scenes in mom & pop candy factories. The book brought back memories of childhood favorite candies and made me want to try all the candy that was mentioned (I will be ordering Five Star Bars soon!)! Steve Almond has a great way with words and a fascinating vocabulary. I actually wanted and took the...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If Steve Almond is a candyfreak, then I'm a candywhore. I'll take it where I can get it and I'm not half as discriminating about its origins.

That said, you can't help but laugh outright at the sugar-fanaticism of a man who gets faint with joy witnessing the birth of chocolate bunnies and is rendered speechless at the thoughtless waste of even one piece of chocolate, recalling, "I stood there in a cloud of disillusionment...I'm someone who has been known to eat the pieces of candy found underneat...more If Steve Almond is a candyfreak, then I'm a candywhore. I'll take it where I can get it and I'm not half as discriminating about its origins.

That said, you can't help but laugh outright at the sugar-fanaticism of a man who gets faint with joy witnessing the birth of chocolate bunnies and is rendered speechless at the thoughtless waste of even one piece of chocolate, recalling, "I stood there in a cloud of disillusionment...I'm someone who has been known to eat the pieces of candy found underneath my couch."

Goaded by the disappearance of his adored Caravelle bar, Almond (yes, he talks about the name) tours independent candy companies (read: anyone other than Mars, Nestle, or Hershey) to, "chronicle their struggles for survival in this wicked age of homogeneity, and, not incidentally, to load up on free candy."

The best laughs are all in the first five chapters. I giggled, chuckled and guffawed my way through the author's confessions of freak-like candy-hoarding, reveling in the kind of sweet self-effacing wit only a candy junkie could muster.

From there, it's mostly an historical tour of the four candy companies he visited, fascinating and richly detailed, yet interspersed with progressively more disturbing moments of personal crisis. At one point the author himself notes, "I realize that I am over-sharing," a phrase that, in a work of humor especially, should be immediately followed by the words, "so I'll quit while I'm ahead." No such luck. From that point on, we are treated to sad reflections on how one may ineffectively attempt to use candy to fill the void created by emotionally unavailable parents, an alarming, overly personal description of penile hypochondria, and finally, how Dubya, terrorists, college hockey players and Reaganomics are to blame for everything from airport security to the author's inability to give up pot and find love. I found the experience much like seeing a house guest naked -- you don't know whether to avert your eyes and mumble an apology or pretend it's hilarious and hope he laughs along.

The erratic emotional pitch of the book can be summed up by Almond's description of a candy-orgy during a San Francisco layover; "A brief jolt of good humor...followed by a plunge into hypoglycemic grumpiness." If this book were a candy bar, it would start with a light, crispy, sweetness, get sort of sticky and tasteless in the middle, and end heavily with an artificial, saccharine jolt, leaving the reader with a nasty aftertaste and the vague notion that he should have quit after the first bite.

Perhaps if Almond has just stuck to candy, the last bite...er, page would have been as good as the first.(less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Wileyacez rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Okay--you have to love this guy (he wrote a book about eating CANDY!), but you can also hate this guy (he does not gain weight no matter how much candy he eats!). He chews his fingernails to the nubs and claims to be an oral person; but he does not like coconut, which is a favorite of mine because you can keep crunching the pieces hidden away in your teeth for HOURS--that's an oral person! He's also not much on marshmallow, which is one of my own personal shameful weaknesses.

On the other hand,...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Marsha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, memoir

Steve Almond (yes, that’s his real name) has a candy obsession and a sweet tooth the size of Mount Rushmore. In order to satisfy his curiosity about sugary snacks, he took a tour of different places that make candy. He went behind the scenes to see what goes into the popular treats we eat. He delved into the history, the passion and the downright dirty in-fighting that goes on between rival chocolate empires. He tells about his personal history with candy and the efforts he’s made to keep his fa...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Sheila DeChantal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I listened to this on audio and found it filled my heads with the memories of my favorite candies growing up. Steve covers everything from Pop Rocks and the urban legends that went with Pop Rocks, the laws of supply and demand when it came to Bubblicious gum (oh wow.... I had forgotten how much I loved Bubblicious!),

For some reason I found myself fascinated by this telling of candies that were described tot he point of how they dissolved in your mouth - enough to make my own mouth water at the t...more I listened to this on audio and found it filled my heads with the memories of my favorite candies growing up. Steve covers everything from Pop Rocks and the urban legends that went with Pop Rocks, the laws of supply and demand when it came to Bubblicious gum (oh wow.... I had forgotten how much I loved Bubblicious!),

For some reason I found myself fascinated by this telling of candies that were described tot he point of how they dissolved in your mouth - enough to make my own mouth water at the thought of them!

The first half or so of this audio is all about these "candyhood" memories, retellings, and the ones that were loved but discontinued. In some cases, Steve stock piles candy bars he knows are no longer going to be produced by buying them by the case loads. I found this walk through candy land very interesting and fun.

Then last half of the book is more about Steve's discovery that he can tour candy companies and watch the bars being made. At first this is interesting, listening to the history of the company, many times handed down from generation to generation... people upholding the candy making quality year after year. And it was even interesting to hear how the machines worked and how the actual process of making goodies, oh lets say like Twin Bing, or the Idaho Spud are produced. But then, the next story and tour seemed a bit the same, and by the third tour I was wondering where this was all going and how it would wrap up.

There are some interesting tid bits in between.... for instance, I did not know about shelving fees, that the big name candy companies pay a substantial price for those prime checkout counter spaces in our grocery stores and big name retails companies like Wal-Mart. (You would think as someone who worked as Management at Wal-Mart for 14 years would have known this but I had not!)

I was also thrilled to hear that Steve also thinks Peeps are horrible (they are my personal candy nemesis).

Was this audio worth my time? Absolutely! I had a lot of fun reminiscing about the candy of my youth, and learned a little something along the way too. (less)

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Jun 20, 2011 Stacy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just finished Candy Freak by Steve Almond. First of all this guy is truly a freak! A freak who loves candy. The first 50 pages of the book were laugh out loud funny. Then remaining 200 were interesting but at times a little boring. It reminded me of those shows "How They Do It" where they show how different things are produced. But the shows are much more interesting to me because of the visual advantage over describing the production process. I did learn about how the well known candy bars be...more I just finished Candy Freak by Steve Almond. First of all this guy is truly a freak! A freak who loves candy. The first 50 pages of the book were laugh out loud funny. Then remaining 200 were interesting but at times a little boring. It reminded me of those shows "How They Do It" where they show how different things are produced. But the shows are much more interesting to me because of the visual advantage over describing the production process. I did learn about how the well known candy bars became that way (Snickers, Milky Way, Twix, etc) and how hard it is for small companies to produce a successful candy bar.

I realized how limited I am in my candy selections. I limit myself to very few types of candy - Twizzlers, red hots, snickers, milky way's, hersey kisses - many of the big brands. I need to branch out and expand my horizon's. Candy I want to try:

-Valomilk
-Idaho Spud (I *think* I may have tried this as a kid)
-Big Hunk (I also think I had this as a kid)
-Twin Bing
-5 Star candy bars
-Lesser known candy bars and different varieties

Some parts of the book were so funny! First off, I love Twizzlers and buy the regularly. According to the author "The one candy whose success is most puzzling to me is Twizzlers. Twizzlers is basically an imitation of red licorice, which, itself, has no cognate in the natural world. The defenders of this candy will probably object at this point, arguing that the most popular Twizzlers flavor is atually strawberry. In fact, Twizzlers bears roughly the same chemical relationship to strawberry as the Vienna Sausage does to filet mignon. Which is to say: none. Its flavor is so completely artificial that I've often wondered if the production staff migh not endeavor to make it just a little more artificial, thus crossing over an invisible flavor threshold and allowing the product to start tasting less artificial. This is to say nothing of the Twizzlers texture, which falls somewhere between chitin and rain poncho." At first I was a little offended. And then I realized he was actually right! I need to stop eating Twizzlers so much.

My favorite candy as of late - Tangy Taffy. His funny description: " As for the actual taste of Tangy Taffy...imagine, if you will, a fruit flavored caulk. Add some citric acid. Add some coloring. You're getting close." That made me laugh. He's kinda right on this too - but I still like it!(less)

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May 20, 2011 Cyndy Aleo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

I think I first heard of Steve Almond's Candyfreak: A Journey Through the Chocolate Underbelly of America on Epinions. Having a bit of a sweet tooth myself, and missing more than one of the treats I remember from my childhood, I added it to my Amazon wishlist, and a friend sent it to me for a "just because" gift. I had no idea at the time what a kindred spirit Almond was.

::: Ode to Caravelle :::

Steve Almond is a man with a problem, judging by his prologue, in which he details his obsession with...more I think I first heard of Steve Almond's Candyfreak: A Journey Through the Chocolate Underbelly of America on Epinions. Having a bit of a sweet tooth myself, and missing more than one of the treats I remember from my childhood, I added it to my Amazon wishlist, and a friend sent it to me for a "just because" gift. I had no idea at the time what a kindred spirit Almond was.

::: Ode to Caravelle :::

Steve Almond is a man with a problem, judging by his prologue, in which he details his obsession with candy. A listing of candy items currently in his apartment when he was writing it yielded well over five pounds of candy, a feat even my chocolate-obsessed self has only achieved at Halloween and Easter. His obsession with candy coupled with his career as a writing professor combined to beget Candyfreak, which began as a quest to find some of the lost candy of Almond's youth.

Almond begins in his local Boston area, but is soon traveling the country visiting small regional candy manufacturers like Sifers Valomilk and Palmer's Candy, viewing manufacturing processes, talking to the owners, and finding out exactly why so many of the treats of his youth are vanishing in the vast candy landscape of White Chocolate Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and holiday-wrapped Hersheys Miniatures.

::: Oh, For One Last Bite of Choco-Lite :::

I was originally intrigued with Almond's book because he seems like a slightly more off-balance version of myself: child of the 70s, obsessed with candy, nostalgic for a past that can't even be recreated by taste. I, too, have had conversations with friends about the disappearance of my beloved Nestle Choco-Lite, and was thrilled the day that I discovered my brother-in-law also remembered a product I swear went by the name of Foodsticks, came in chocolate and peanut butter varieties, and were almost like a mealy Tootsie Roll.

Almond writes in a very stream-of-consciousness style that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. His fascination with the enrobing process on an assembly line (as he describes it, "freaktrance") is palpable, but his rants about his conflicting liberal viewpoints with his obsession with what is so obviously a luxury item seem out of place.

I don't think anyone could read Candyfreak without feeling a profound sense of loss. Even reading about the demise of the smaller companies filled me with sadness; not only were people out of work, but a portion of our cultural history disappears every time a small company is forced out of business by the large candy companies. Reading about slotting fees (where a manufacturer pays a sum to a grocer to stock their product that most small companies can't afford) and realizing that even the companies that Almond met with will most likely be gone by the time my children start reminiscing about THEIR childhood candy is depressing.

Almond has a wonderful ability to offer the reader a virtual ride-along on his journey, which makes his last chapter all the more baffling, where he bashes the reader over the head with his "get my point?" summary. I think I knew that I couldn't relive my childhood, just like Almond can't relive his. But the joys and sorrows in the attempt, and the interesting people and visions that Almond mets on his journey would have made a five-star book if he hadn't been so intent on making a point. We get it. I miss my favorite independent bookseller, too. Now show me the chocolate.

This review previously published on Epinions: http://www.epinions.com/review/Candyf...(less)

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Apr 06, 2011 Tina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: food, non-fiction

I started this book the same day I started "Gluten-Free Girl". Gluten-Free Girl made me happy I didn't have celiac disease. And "Candyfreak" made me crave candy like there was no tomorrow. Dreamt about it. Remembered my favorites from childhood (really, college. Swedish Fish. Couldn't have made it through my fourth year without them. And Skittles. Chewy Spree, too. But I digress).

There are parts of the book that he could have left out. Like, I'm sorry he was depressed about the domestic politics...more

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Mar 26, 2011 Jennifer Reid rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I finished Candyfreak: A Journey Through the Chocolate Underbelly of America by Steve Almond on the train this afternoon after a few episodes of stifled giggling in the corner so as not to look completely crazy. Any author that can let go of all inhibitions to the young readers of America and live his or her obsession(s) in plain view and including hoarding, kleptomania, potsmoking, and fondling deserves high praise in my book. I was fascinated by all the sweets that I'd never heard of before--a...more

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May 12, 2010 Malbadeen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Steve Almond is deep passion veiled as giddy enthusiasm. So much of his writing just makes you want to high five the world and sceam "F**** yeah!"

If you're not careful you might lose your self in the enjoyment of it all and begin to take for granted his amazing ability to lift up the ordinary and point it out in a way that has you remembering your own forgotten sensations/images/relationships.

As an educator I am always begging/pleading/admonishing my collegues to please give our students opport...more

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Oct 25, 2009 Abby marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I am not eating any sugar at all this week, in preparation for Halloween, so that I will be over the temptation stage where I am dying for sugar by the time that day arrives. Thus the holiday will pass me by unharmed. But I am still in the craving stage right now. Mostly. It's starting to let up a little.

I did dream last night that someone was offering me cinammon rolls and I had to say "NO I'M NOT EATING SUGAR THIS WEEK!!!" and run away. This is because they relentlessly shoved it at me. It's l...more

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Oct 08, 2009 Leigh rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: men, nonfiction lovers

Recommended to Leigh by: Beth

Candy Freak is the story of Steve Almond's obsession with candy, particularly candy that no longer exists. Almond begins the story lamenting the disappearance of the candy bars of his youth, and wonders why such perfect candies aren't being made anymore. He sets out to explore the "chocolate underbelly of America", touring several small candy factories and getting the viewpoints of small, independently-owned candy companies. Almond discovers that there are indeed many candies being made by these...more

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Apr 15, 2009 Tiger Gray rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was of special interest to me when I read it, since I had spent most of my teens and early twenties working in a candy store. Said candy store was (and is still) located in one of the more famous Seattle landmarks, the Pike Place Market.

My experiences there were myriad. When I was first hired I was eighteen, had a shit work ethic, a bad attitude, un-medicated mental issues, and had just come out of a truly shit relationship. Looking back, if I had been my boss I would have fired me in...more

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Mar 25, 2009 Grace rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, food, read-in-2009

I discovered this book on an "American Chocolate Week" display at my local library and knew that I had to read this book. In my world, chocolate is the most important food group and I, like author Steve Almond, eat a piece of candy each day. Unfortunately for me, I do not have his super fast metabolism.

I loved the book for its originality, use of words like behemoth, and for introducing me to the "chocolate underbelly of America." I now have a desire to buy locally made chocolate from lesser kn...more

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Jan 08, 2009 GoldenjoyBazyll rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: amazing-people

godiva... lint....kit kats.... you name them I love them. After reading this book I definately have a better underastanding of the American candy industry. I never knew that there were stocking fees to place candy at registers at supermarkets. I never knew the history of independent candy makers in the late 1800's and early 1900's. It ws interesting to read how social factors such as war's inpacted the business of candy producers. Who knew???? The book started out very interesting and very enter...more

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May 31, 2007 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Geeks of all stripes

I love to read pretty much anything written by geeks. People who are unhealthily obsessed with a given subject and clearly amped to educate others about it. With enough geeky passion on display, the subject becomes almost irrelevant.

Steve Almond is a hardcore geek for candy. His enthusiasm is more than evident in this book. It's a quick read, he writes well and I for one found myself desperately wanting something with chocolate and hazelnuts in it when I was done.

Highly recommended.

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Sep 23, 2011 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I must admit that I first approached this book with a different idea of the subject matter than what I ended up reading. I had first encountered the novel when we read a chapter in a creative nonfiction class, and from that short section, I had thought the book would simply be a story about how Steve refound himself within the candy as he visited factories across the United States. I loved the chapter, though, and knew I wanted to read the whole novel, and I’m so glad I did. The story is about s...more I must admit that I first approached this book with a different idea of the subject matter than what I ended up reading. I had first encountered the novel when we read a chapter in a creative nonfiction class, and from that short section, I had thought the book would simply be a story about how Steve refound himself within the candy as he visited factories across the United States. I loved the chapter, though, and knew I wanted to read the whole novel, and I’m so glad I did. The story is about so much more than Steve’s own history with the candy—it provides information that I had never even considered about the (unfortunately) dieing industry of individually-owned candy factories. Steve paints a picture of these factories as he visits them, and his rich descriptions of this self-admitted obsession draw the reader into the novel, and in my case, really make them want to try the candy he describes!

It is clear that Steve Almond loves and lives candy. His passion for sweets pours through each page, and he shows throughout the novel how deep his emotional bond to the candy he describes actually is. He transports the reader to days long past, of candy made the old-fashioned way, free of mass-producing machinery and multimillion dollars. I loved the stories about all the small candy factories, the way Steve told the stories of the owners. I felt like I was there with them in the room, learning about the histories of each seller as they told about their candy’s past. Steve does an amazing job incorporating humor into each of his stories as well, which makes every chapter just that much more entertaining and enjoyable to read. There is a chapter where Steve talks about “nutmeats” that had me laughing out loud, and many other sections made me giggle profusely.

I had read a couple reviews that mentioned Steve slipped too much autobiography into Candy Freak, and that hurt the story, but to that I say “phooey!”. I think he used the exact right amount of his own life, as his stories helped prove that he had a reason to write this story because he felt such a personal connection to candy. Plus, he utilizes enough self-deprecating humor to make all of his interludes seem genuine and fun, not like a pitty-party. I do think that people need to keep in mind that this is creative nonfiction, not simply nonfiction. A subtle difference, but a difference nonetheless!

If you love candy and humor, then I highly recommend this book. It was my first experience with Steve Almond, but I loved the book so much that I intend to read many more of his published works.(less)

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Jun 15, 2009 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So here is the thing about this book--I liked it--however--comma--I really only liked it when the author was talking about candy. Steve Almond's candy addiction makes my love affair with chocolate seem like a mere dalliance. He can wax poetic about candy bars that were discontinued when he was seven. (He is now in his forties.) His quest to find those regional candies from days of yore--also called nostalgia candies--is interesting and fun. (Truth told, his story about the Valomilk actually comp...more

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Jul 22, 2007 Abby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Candy Lovers

Shelves: nonfiction, biographies, cookbooks-food

This book was so fun and light. And for a candy addict like me, this was a validation that I am not alone. Though it mostly deals with chocolate and nostalgia, the author does tour many of the small mom and pop candy factories left in the US. He writes in an easy conversational style and you can tell that both he and the peole he interviews really love the subject.

This was a lovely summer read and has made me put other candy history books on my to read list.

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Jan 03, 2012 Kyle Kerns rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2005, own

Everybody has at least a little freak inside them, and it’s always interesting to learn about another person’s (see The Know-It-All for more info on that!). This was a nice trip into the world of one guy’s freak—candy. And let me tell you, that’s one trip I enjoyed. A few years ago, I got really interested in the Food Network’s “Unwrapped” when I when travel and have cable in my motels. One candy I learned about was the ValoMilk. After searching most of the St. Louis area for it, I finally found...more

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Oct 03, 2010 Stephanie W rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, food

For some reason I expected a more non-fiction stance from this book. I expected a hard look at the big three candy companies and how they are homogenizing the flavors of America. I did not expect the sweet surprise of a memoir in the style akin to a mix of Dave Eggers and Chuck Klosterman. This fact should not have been surprising given that candy, specifically chocolate, is deeply personal with memories lodged deep in one's self conscious. There is no rhyme or reason for why we like what we lik...more

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About Steve Almond

Steve Almond is the author of two story collections, My Life in Heavy Metal and The Evil B.B. Chow, the non-fiction book Candyfreak, and the novel Which Brings Me to You, co-written with Julianna Baggott. He lives outside Boston with his wife and baby daughter Josephine.

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“Every now and then, I'll run into someone who claims not to like chocolate, and while we live in a country where everyone has the right to eat what they want, I want to say for the record that I don't trust these people, that I think something is wrong with them, and that they're probably - and this must be said - total duds in bed.” — 78 people liked it

“The answer is that we don't choose our freaks, they choose us.” — 73 people liked it

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