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Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Goldenberg’s Peanut ChewsThese are a classic East Coast candy. Made for years by the Goldenberg candy company, they were purchased by Just Born in 2003, which has been gobbling up other Eastern small-maker candies. Just Born is best known for the Easter favorite, Marshmallow Peeps. I’ve always referred to these as Goldenbergs ... the one part of the old name that is not retained (I think the company is pushing the name “Chew-Ets”) so now I have to call them just Peanut Chews. But the notable thing about them is that they break one of my rules of good candy. They’re fake. There’s no chocolate there. But what they lack in chocolate they make up for in flavor.
The original Chew-Et is a molasses-based chew embedded with peanuts and then covered in a wax that resembles dark chocolate. (Okay, it’s not wax, it’s just not real chocolate.) The interesting part of the chew is that it’s not a caramel. There’s no milk in the original bar at all, so it can’t be a caramel. It’s just a sugary syrup that’s been boiled down to soft-ball state. Maybe you could call it a “soft brittle”. They’re formed into fingers of candy that are placed in a tray and usually sold in a package of six or so, though I usually bought the King Sized ones. For a while I’ve been able to find them here in California at Rite Aid (probably because Rite Aid is based in Pennsylvania). The molasses and peanuts make a good combination of roasted, musky flavors. The dark chocolate stays out of the way and doesn’t really add anything to the party (except trans fats).
Having just said that the chocolate coating doesn’t much matter, it seems to make more of a difference in the milk version. Molasses is a dark flavor and seems to benefit from the dark, slightly bitter mockolate. While the milk chocolate coating is more successful at replicating the feel of real chocolate, it’s a little sweet, a little sticky feeling in the combo. I’m glad to see that the Chew-Ets will continue to exist, as they are rather unique. They’re small and easy to share and have a flavor combination not found in any other candy bar on the market in the states. Since it’s not real chocolate, they also seem to weather being in my bag better than chocolate candies, so they’re a better bet as a summer candy. I wish they were made with real chocolate, but I suppose I shouldn’t advocate messing around with such a good bar. Additional Reading: Check out Steve Almond’s Candy Freak which has a whole chapter devoted to his visit to the Goldenberg factory (while it was still Goldenberg’s) in Philadelphia. You can even read a couple of pages on Amazon if you like. Here’s something interesting I learned from the book, Goldenbergs were first developed as ration bar for the Army in WWI and after the war the GIs kept buying them. Edit: I found this in Mike’s Candy Wrappers, the original wrapper.
POSTED BY Cybele AT 1:53 pm
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Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.
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COPYRIGHT NOTICEAll content (text and photos unless otherwise credited) is copyright 2005-2009 by Cybele MayPlease do not use my photos without prior permission directly from me, they represent what I ate in preparation for these reviews and are not to be used for other purposes. Design by Hop Studios & powered by Expression Engine
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I love Peanut Chews. It’s odd seeing them in the new packaging. Being from the East Coast, I know these quite well.
Oh my gosh, I love these things and I’m so happy that they are starting to be available on the West Coast. They ARE the perfect summer candy! And the “Dark Chocolate” ones are vegan!
When did they drop the Goldenberg? I just had them a few months ago in the old wrapper and no “chew-et” to be found. What the hell??
I’m not sure when they dropped Goldenberg ... how old was that package you ate Rachel?
not old, it was fresh and chewing. And I know just a year ago this month I went through a bad of the individually wrapped candies.
I found these in the vending machine in the basement where I work, and tried them a week or two ago. I liked the flavor of the “chew” part, very tasty.
To whom it may concern;
My heart has been broken. I am at a low point in my life. For the past year or two I have noticed that my favorite movie candy, Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews were unavailable at the movies. I have been eating these wonderful candies for years. It made the movie seem better. I would carefully ration out each wonderful chew slowly.
Now I find out that you are no more. Goodbye Goldenberg’s, goodbye Joe DiMaggio, goodbye Mickey Mantle. How can I go on?
I can’t even revert to Goobers or Baby Ruths, their formulas have been changed as well.
I suppose the next shock will be that there “ain’t no Santa Claus.”
How can you guys do this. No wonder the economy stinks! Do you realize how Un-American this action is? Next thing you know, some Japanese company will start to produce Goldenbergs and bring them into this country. With President Bush and Congress ceding control of our ports to the Arabs, those phoney Goldenbergs will have no problem getting past security. Enough is enough!! I WANT MY GOLDENBERG’S BACK NOW!!!
Joseph Schachner
I liked the original formula and package before the marketing people at the new company changed it. Change isn’t always bad but it is with food. I like what I like. They should have left it alone. Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews were unique. Now these new Chew-ets Peanut Chews are just brown, sweet and salty. Bring back the Goldenberg family to fix it!
Joseph - I loved buying the big box at the movie theater. I don’t know why someone would want smelly nachos instead.
Candyman - I know that the old formula must have been tweaked. I didn’t like the milk version much at all but the molasses chew is still alone on the market and I make do with that.
I do, as a West Coaster have to credit the new owners for delivering fresher candies to us out here. There have been many times where I’ve had freakishly stale candies out here from the Rite Aid where I used to pick them up. No problem with that any longer.
Yeah, I’m just sick about this. I like the darkness of the Goldenberg chews soooooo much better. It was a much thinner layer and the inside was hard to bite into. It almost had to warm up in your mouth before you could chew it. This seems to happen to all my favorite foods. Pudding Pops being another example.
I called the company, there comment was the dark chocolate is no longer available. The caramel was changed to make it softer. They did not think the harder center was a good idea!!! They are better if you put them in the frig to get cold. I have been eating these for 50 some years. I don’t see that they will change any time soon. Make do.
I’ve been out of the US, and just discovered the switch. I LOVED the old chews, and was horrified to see that the “Chew-ets” were supposed to be taking their place. I couldn’t bring myself to buy one, though it was the red package, not the light blue package… so, the dark chocolate ones are different from the good old Goldenbergs? Or are they close to the same? I’ll try one the next time I’m in the states… here’s hoping it will be close.
What a shame.
Anne, the dark original ones were changed also and are no longer close to Goldenberg’s original red and brown wrapped candies.
hi my name is john doren and i am a doctor. the place where i get my sweet candy treats is Candydirect.com that place is the greatest!!!
i have been looking for goldenberg peanut chews in supermarkets in my town for a long time. not just for me, my 74 year old mother loves them and i kept looking until today when i decided to look it up on the internet. it’s been changed!!!..say it isnt so!...why dont they stock it at stop & shop or price chopper supermarkets here??? i want to put a smile on her face again….me too!
May 2, 2008
I was so excited to find peanut chews here in the Dominican Republic. Who would think they would have them here in a third world country. I don’t know how long they will last, but I’m heading to the store tomorrow to buy the rest!
I went to college in Philadelphia 1980’s and my room mate was neighbors with Mr. Goldenberg. He had fond memories as a kid and the old man would always be distributing samples.
True fact: They were the only candy you could eat with beer.
i found the peanut chews of all places, at a 7-11 near norwich,ct. on my way back from mohegan sun casino. i bought 8 of them for my mother, but ended up eating two..oops..sorry mom!... i put a smile on her face again! They are by far, the best munchie i ever had!, i would buy a case of them if i had the extra cash just to keep her smiling!
Please, can you post a recipie for peanut chews that taste like the goldenberg brand? i can’t find one online anywhere!
MY HEAD MUST BE IN THE SAND… I JUST FOUND OUT THE ORIGINAL GOLDENBERG PEANUT CHEWS ARE NO LONGER… I AM HEART BROKEN… I CANNOT WATCH ANOTHER MOVIE WITHOUT A STASH OF ORIGIANL PEANUT CHEWS… FORGET THE FRAUDS.
I was in the U.S.A. and found Goldenberg’s Original Peanut Chews in a Crackerbarrel store. Hubby likes them because it states right on the package that they are gluten free (he has wheat sensitivity). But I’ve not seen them here in Canada and would love to know where they’re sold in this country.
I’ve had a yearning for Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews. It probably has something to with the thought of my upcoming 40th HS reunion on Long island. I used to walk home from school, stop by the local candy store and buy my favorite snack. I’ll stock up when I go to NY for the reunion.
OLD PACKAGE!!!! Cracker Barrel Stores have the original “old fashioned” packaging.
Just found these in my dorm’s vending machine—pretty good. The mockolate doesn’t bother me like it normally does on candy. They’re ok but nothing I would go out of my way for..
I wrote a letter to their marketing department when I discovered they’d eliminated the Goldenberg’s name and asked them ( I thought all tongue in cheek and witty…) if they were trying to rid the candy of it’s Jewish association, trying to increase sales in the great gentile midwest or what. As a Jew I hated to see my favorite candy run scared. I got back the most humorless, formulaic corporate response. It was depressing. Candy should elicit humor not corporate-speak.It was almost enough to make me swear off the stuff. Almost….
By the way - do you know if anyone sells a giant jar of individually wrapped chews?? I’d like it as a gift for someone. I once was given it as a gift but don’t see it offered on line. Any help??
I just got a pack of red chewets from the candy “box” at work. My heart leaped at the familiar feel of the package…could these be my beloved Goldenberg chews in new packaging? And indeed they were! So happy. I think they taste the same. Then I googled Goldenberg chews and found this site. I guess I haven’t had one in 6 years!
Wow…I cant believe they changed the name, and the packaging. I moved to the mid west 7 years ago. Born and raised on the East Coast. Goldenbergs Peanut Chews were a family favorite. Ive looked and looked all over in southern IL. for my favorite peanut chew, to no avail. Now, I know that Ive been barking up the wrong Chew tree. I hope this replacement brand lives up to my memories of the one and only Goldenberg’s Peanut Chew…......Its been a long time, I hope I can finally find and enjoy a peanut chew.
I’m from N.J. and as a child Goldenberg’s peanut chews was always my favorite. Haven’t seen them in 30 years until yesterday. Found them in a Cracker Barrel Restaurant in Georgia. Have made two trips back for more. They tasted exactly like they did years ago. So good! Also checked the experation date and it still had 6 months to go so they were really fresh. Life is good!
This is interesting. I loved these as a kid too, and have developed an aversion to the excessive sweetness found in most sweet things nowadays (these were never too sweet). I am worried that they taste too different, but I’ll give them a try, and since I am in GA, I might stop by a cracker barrel and check them out. I wonder, though, if its the same old packaging, does that mean the candy is old? Maybe cause it was developed as army rations, it was made to keep. Thanks for all the info
Hi, I forst hgeard about Goldenbergs Peanut Chews when I saw Neil Diamond in an interview on Sunday Morning CBS with Charles Osgood. Neil told the story before he got on a place in new York to fly back to Los Angeles, he bought a few bags of Goldenbergs peanut Chews for her. Then he began eating a couple and then ate them all! If you want to see this fun story, just go to yahoo or google and put in: Greedy Diamond ate Streisands candy treat! I’ve seen them at Rite Aid as Peanut Chews and never knew they were the same item. i try one the next time I’m in Rite-Aid! Sincerely, Joyce Granville
The old fashioned packaging and bar is still around; just had it from the cracker Barrel restaurant in NH of all weird places. Love them
could you please send me a email to tell me where i can get some peanut chew. i went to acme ,bj’s where i used to get them now there gone. i live on the southern part of nj
thanks cynthia
Ahhh, the mystery is finally solved! Actually, I too don’t know where I have been in that I had no idea Goldenberg’s sold out to Chew-Ets over six years ago. Goldenberg’s original Peanut Chews were the best ‘real chocolate’ candy in the world…my absolute favorite. I had always wondered about Chew-Ets chocolate or should I say, mockolate; it never tasted as good as Goldenberg’s original chews, and now I know why. I want REAL CHOCOLATE, real peanuts, the whole shabang! Please bring back the original formula before 2003! Thank you.
Laura - the formula was not changed. Goldenberg’s were always mockolate. (I think the packaging may not be keeping the product as fresh though.)
I just flew back to Ca. from Jersey and my whole family goes on a Peanut Chew hunt. They are getting harder and harder to find. I think it was Pathmark where I saw them. I only got to bring back one bag with me this time. I keep them in the freezer (so I eat them slower ha) Thanks for the tip about Rite Aid I will take a look. They are still pretty good to me,tho I did like the original package.Seems we don’t have much of a choice and I am not giving them up!
peanut chews have been my favorite for most of my life im 72 years pld and i would like to know what stores carry them in my area.11782 is my zip.
thank you
Hi joe,
go into peanut chews.com or Justborn.com and on the bottom of the page you will see store locater, just put your zip in there and you should see if there is a store near you.
Hi
I’m not sure if someone has already said this, but for those of you who are miffed about them changing the Goldenberg’s labeling and packaging, you can always drop by your local Cracker Barrel store and pick up a fresh pack with the classic Goldenberg’s label.
I just bought a package of these from a little bodega type place, and after reading the blog entry, checked the ingredients, and they do appear to contain real chocolate. It contains cocoa, dutch cocoa (alkali), an emulsifier, and sugar… the ingredients for dark chocolate. Just sayin..
Mort Goldman - one of the other key ingredients in dark chocolate is cocoa butter. Not only that, in order to be considered true chocolate it can only contain cocoa butter and no other vegetable fats such as palm oil.
Been loving them since childhood
my daughter just called me from nc and told me she found them at cvs so i checked all the cvs stores close to me (springhill, fl) and still can’t find any!! these were my dads favorite candy growing up and he passed that to me. i never knew about the chocolate though, cant say that i really care because i love the taste no matter what!
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