Time for a little trivia. What does N.E.C.C.O. stand for? If you said New England Confectionery Company, you’re absolutely correct. Since 1847, this nostalgia-heavy company has been cranking out favorite candies like Necco wafers, Sweethearts (a.k.a. conversation hearts), Clark bars, Candy Buttons and Mary Janes. But not to be forgotten are Necco’s many other products, like the Mint Julep chew. These square-cut chewy candies come in bags or tubs and are typically sold near cash registers or in convenience stores for pocket change. A little larger than you might expect, they outsize fruit chews like Starburst or chewy caramels. Nostalgia, or retro candies as they are often called, have an enchantment about them that is irresistible. Candy has a way of taking us back to the good old days. Mint Julep is just another fine specimen in this realm of candy nostalgia, but it will always have a special place for some consumers. Its taffy counterpart, the Banana Split chew, is another one of Necco’s memory-inducing candies.

I opened the wrapper to my first Mint Julep to discover a square of lime-colored green taffy. Initially I bit off half, but then gave in and stuffed the entire piece into my mouth—a small feat for someone who normally only chews half a stick of gum (whole pieces interfere with normal talking and swallowing). But I enjoyed the Mint Julep chew quite a bit, with its cool yet mild spearmint flavor. My mind was tricked mid-consumption, and I began to wonder if I was chewing spearmint gum. Yet this was not so, and the taffy dissipated and was on its way to digestion station in about 30 seconds. Just as any good taffy should—after all, who wants to walk around with the same flavor of Taffy in their mouth all day? Exactly. But just like gum has its purpose, so does taffy. The Mint Julep is not quite a mint, and is definitely not gum, but it is a tasty old-time treat everyone should try at least once.