Taking a look at some of the best vintage candies

Charleston Chew

The Charleston Chew was created back in 1925 by the Fox-Cross Candy Company, which was then founded by a stage-actor named Donley Cross and his friend Charlie Fox. At the time, there was a very popular dance called the Charleston, hence what the candy was actually named after.

Essentially, the Charleston Chew is a nougat covered in milk chocolate. They’re also made by the Tootsie company, having joined them in 1933, and consist of three flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry.

This is one of those candy bars that you hear of people enjoying mostly frozen, and calling it ‘the Charleston crack’. Upon Charleston Chews joining the Tootsie company, five years later, they introduced a few different versions and selling points, such as the Charleston Chew Minis, single-serving boxes of bite-sized full-flavored versions of the original Charleston Chew (which only came in Vanilla back then).

As for today, although Charleston Chews are very much still being sold in stores, the most comparable candy would have to be the Brach’s Jelly Nougat; however, there are so many different nougat-based candies out there, such as an Italian favorite of mine called Torrone.

If you like a good sticky nougat bar, then you’ll definitely enjoy yourself some Charleston Chews!