June 02, 2015
Wayne Parry/AP
This June 5, 2014 photo shows Donna Fania of Pottstown, Pa. picking some pina colada-flavored salt water taffy from a bin in Fralinger's on the Atlantic City, N.J. boardwalk.
Need an excuse to forgo swimsuit dieting this month?
"Pennsylvania is unofficially known as 'America's sweet spot,'" Susan Whiteside, vice president of PR & Marketing Communications at the National Confectioners Association, according to a report published in The Morning Call.
According to the National Confectioners Association, June is National Candy Month, and not celebrating the season of sweetness would be wrong.
So to help you stay sweet, rather than sorry, we compiled a list of five local and iconic candy shops you should know.
Orange-flavored salt water taffy is displayed at Fralinger's on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City N.J. (AP)
For many travelers, a trip to the Jersey shore wouldn't be complete without purchasing a box of Fralinger's Salt Water Taffy. And rightfully so.
The iconic, family owned candy manufacturing company originated on Atlantic City's Boardwalk in the 1880s, where it still stands today, manufacturing 600,000 pounds of the taffy molded into 16 varieties of 2-inch cylinders each year.
How It's Made:
Fun Fact:
According to its website, the Salt Water Taffy received its name by accident after a strong overnight surf dampened the ocean-front shop's taffy.
As the story goes, "The next morning, the young candy merchant was dismayed to find his merchandise wet and responded to a girl’s request for taffy with a sarcastic but witty, 'You mean Salt Water Taffy?'." And the rest, as they say, is history.
Located at store locations throughout Pennsylvania and online.
Fun Fact: You won't find Irish potato candy in Ireland.
"Irish potatoes are not Irish and do not have potatoes in them," Harry Hefton, sales representative for Oh Ryan's told reporter Laura Randall.
Hershey, Pa. and New York City, NY
A Hershey's retail store in New York. (AP)
A compilation of local iconic candy shops wouldn't be complete without a nod to The Hershey Company, the largest producer of quality chocolate in North America, based right in Pennsylvania.
According to the company's website, Milton S. Hershey, the man behind the candy company, was an American entrepreneur who was as sweet as his trademark chocolate, having used his personal wealth to enrich the lives of others.
The Hershey Company, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, opened in 1894. Its products are sold in more than 60 countries worldwide, with a retail location in New York City's Time Square (above).
How It's Made:
