Abba-Zaba

Abba-Zaba bar

A split Abba-Zaba

Abba-Zaba is a taffy candy bar with peanut butter center, made by the Annabelle Candy Company in Hayward, California.

History

According to the Candy Wrapper Museum, the first Abba Zaba bars were manufactured in 1922 by Colby and McDermott. ^[1] Before Annabelle Candy Co. started manufacturing Abba-Zaba, the packaging featured racist imagery. ^{[2] [3]} Annabelle Candy Co. will only say that the wrapper has been the same for as long as they have manufactured the candy.^{[ citation needed ]} The bar was later manufactured by the Cardinet Candy Co. along with U-No Bar. Annabelle Candy purchased the Cardinet Candy Co. in 1978. Annabelle now manufactures both candy bars in addition to others. ^[4]

Abba-Zaba bars can be found almost exclusively west of the Rockies. ^[5] The wrapper features a yellow and black checkerboard "taxi" pattern since the 1950s. ^[6] They can be purchased in bulk on the web. They can also be found in candy specialty stores anywhere in the US and Canada.^{[ citation needed ]}

In 2005, Annabelle introduced an apple-flavored taffy variant of Abba-Zaba. ^[7] There is also a new bar that has a chocolate taffy and contains chocolate spread and peanut butter.^{[ citation needed ]}

Abba-Zaba bars are kosher pareve.^{[ citation needed ]}

In popular culture

Music

• The bar was a favorite of rock musician Don Van Vliet, who is best known by his stage name Captain Beefheart. He used the bar's name as a song title on his album Safe as Milk in 1967. Artwork on the rear album sleeve also features a black and yellow checkerboard pattern inspired by the Abba-Zaba wrapper.
• Abba-Zaba is mentioned, along with Almond Joy in the Tom Waits song "Chocolate Jesus" that appeared on his album Mule Variations .
• Fenix TX included a song entitled "Abba Zabba" on their 2001 second album Lechuza .

Film

• Abba-Zaba bars are featured prominently in the 1998 Dave Chappelle comedy film Half Baked .

Series

• In HBO's Boardwalk Empire Gillian offers an Abba-Zaba bar to his grandson Tommy.

Celebrities

• Actor John Wayne had a sweet tooth and Abba-Zaba bars were his favorite candy. ^[8]
• Actress and TV host Tiffani Thiessen counts the candy bars among her favorite snacks on set while filming episodes of Saved By the Bell . ^[9]

References

1. The Candy Wrapper Museum. The Candy Wrapper Museum. Retrieved on 2014-03-30.
2. Greene, Lydia (2023-04-04). "Old-School Candies That Were Seriously Controversial". Mashed. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
3. "Photo". redesignblog.files.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
4. Mara, Janis (2017-08-07). "Inside the East Bay company that makes Abba-Zaba, Big Hunk, Rocky Road". Berkeleyside. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
5. "Home Sweets Home: The USA's Tastiest Regional Candies | Frommer's". www.frommers.com. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
6. "Blast from the past! 10 retro Halloween candies". TODAY.com. July 5, 2014. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
7. "Annabelle adds Apple Abba-Zaba". Professional Candy Buyer. 13 (3): 104–105. 2005-05-01.
8. "Vassallo Interviews: John Wayne's Granddaughter Anita Swift Shares Memories". hottytoddy.com. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
9. "Tiffani Thiessen still indulges in her favorite '80s snacks: 'I was an Abba-Zaba or Hot Tamales girl': The 48-year-old actress dishes on her epic Thanksgiving dinner fail and why she'd love to have dinner with Princess Diana". Yahoo!Life. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.

Other sources

• Pacyniak, Bernard (September 2004). "Sweet on Annabelle". Candy Industry Magazine . 169 (9): 18–25. ISSN   0745-1032.

External links

• Annabellecandy.com - Official website
• Candy Wrapper Museum - Earliest known Abba-Zaba box and wrapper