by Hannah Brelsford
Recently the sweet world was taken by storm with the announcement that the beloved classic treat, the Choco Taco, was discontinued by its parent brand Klondike. This announcement broke hearts and incited cravings all around the nation. The internet exploded with tweets and posts, all crying for the return of the unique sweet twist on a taco.
As an avid lover of ice cream and sweets, I was shocked, especially since the ice cream treat held a special place in my childhood heart. But, to be honest, I am surprised by this sudden announcement. I think the rest of Choco Taco-loving Americans are as well.
Recently Jon Prince, President of CandyFavorites.com, was invited to be on All of It with Alison Stewart, an WNYC Studios podcast, to discuss and explain this shock and heartbreak we all feel when we can’t find our favorite sweet treats on shelves anymore.
Sweets such as candy and ice cream are simple and accessible to most, making it almost a universal experience to hold them close to our hearts. However, they have a rare power, the power to transport you in time.
Unfortunately, as time progresses, the list of discontinued items continues to grow. With this separation of time between us and our beloved sweets, we lose not just our connections to them but the connections to that time as well.
During the episode, people called in to tell their close connections with lost candies and sweets, just like Mr. Prince did. I won’t say anything about his beloved memories of the Choco Taco (you will have to listen to the podcast episode to hear that), but I will share my own.
My brothers were actors growing up. However, one acted in high school productions, while the older one continued acting into college.
Here is the dilemma when you have two siblings in two different productions simultaneously in two other states, it may seem impossible to see them both.
My family would not accept defeat that easily, though. My younger brother's high school show was on a Friday, and my older brother's show was the next day in the afternoon. The main problem was that they were a fourteen-hour drive apart from each other.
So, after my brother’s show that Friday night, my family packed ourselves in our minivan, including my aunt and uncle. You may wonder how the Choco Taco fits in the story; this is how we drove through the night. Only some of us were privileged enough to find some sleep, my uncle not one of them.
I think the time happened to be 3 AM, and we found ourselves at a rest stop along the way to our destination. To our surprise, the rest stop had an ice cream display. Inside the refrigerated unit was glorious mouth-watering Choco Taco. Never did ice cream look so good, so late at night!
My uncle, being sleep-deprived, decided that the best thing to do was to purchase that Choco Taco and take in all its glory at 3 AM to fuel him for the rest of the drive. This temporary memory will always be connected to the delicious Choco Taco!
With the announcement of the discontinuation of the Choco Taco, I felt sad, but why?
They were delicious and unique, but they weren't that special compared to every other ice cream treat. Then when listening to this podcast episode, it all became clear.
I don’t feel sad because I will miss its delicious flavor. Instead, I feel sad because the Choco Taco represents a part of my family experience; it means the lengths we will go to for each other, the love we share, and the - sweet - memories made along life's journey.
Mr. Prince commented on his relationship with Choco Taco, which he confides to me is his favorite ice cream treat of all time! He said it is comforting and gives us nostalgia for a time where we could not physically return. As he said, "sweets take you back to a time when life was easier. After the past few years, I think everyone is looking for an easy way to turn back the clock."
When people think of the world of candy and sweets, they think of Willy Wonka, chocolate rivers, and confections with changing flavors. Still, just like in the story of Willy Wonka, not everything is as glorious as it seems.
Sweets are just like every other product; they are a commodity, a lesson Mr. Prince explains in the podcast episode. However, with sweets, we don’t feel like it is just like every other commodity because confections are magical.
As much as I wished that the Choco Taco disappearance was just a marketing scheme, it seems they are going away forever. But, unfortunately, with new candies and sweets comes the disappearance of others. Like everything, candy is not immune from its own life cycle.
To listen more about human connections with sweets, the tragic disappearance of Choco Tacos from shelves, and personal stories about sweet memories, please LISTEN to the podcast episode Paying Tribute To Bygone Treats on WNYC's All of It Program with Alison Stewart.
