Maria and I take a quick look at one of the most popular candy bars in the world.
Sounds interesting.
fyi on pricing: i just bought a pack here in the UWS in Manhattan, theyre a buck.
This gum comes the closest to the "Scents" gum that I used to chew back in the 60"s. That gum came in a small square box and the box was colored purple and green. I am Ivonne " KOOKIE" Morell on 11/16/09 at 6:57 am, Comment by First, I preface this review (actually, it looks like Ive prefaced the review several times, would you like to just skip to the bottom for the rating?) I immediately grabbed a handful and my college-aged daughter and I crunched on them for the rest of the day. DoomPuppeh on 3/26/11 at 12:40 pm, Comment by
They were much sweeter than the CHowards & a little softer (& smaller).
if you leave the package open, they get soft, and are utterly delicious! Those are the same I rememberwe lived in Chicago when I was a kid and my grandmother and I would go to get those violet squares I loved them and have been searching for them forever.
Still, I do love me some Choward's.
Theyre sweet and very hard (like a piece of soft shale) are the color of the putty I used to caulk my shower and smell like something I might use in the shower while Im there.
They are called Flavigny violet pastilles. Oh, I loved these confections as a tween! Chowards violets is my favorite candy ever!
Email us at. Circa 1957, Long Island, New York a little shop in Garden City that sold candy sold these candies for about a nickel a pack.
Sparkina on 7/01/12 at 5:22 pm, Comment by
Cherry Merry on 10/19/07 at 6:40 pm, Comment by
Ive had the C Howards & theyre the next best thing to what im talking about.
Omg i LOVE these!
I have loved these mints and gum (even though I don't chew gum a lot now) for several decades. Bonnie DeSmet on 4/25/09 at 9:26 pm, Comment by Since then, Ive never seen it again. Shawna on 1/02/09 at 11:53 am, Comment by
My friend thought it was jsut another strange pregnancy craving but i loooove these!!!!!!
Always sold at Wockenfuss in the Baltimore, MD area in bulk - I never saw them in any sort of package. chowerhead on 3/15/10 at 5:35 am, Comment by
I love CHowards Violet Candy. 5 out of 10 does not mean that you shouldnt continue to love it and recommend it. IT IS HEAVENLY. I havent thought about Violets in years. ohmygosh. They tasted floral, fresh, unique and absolutely divine!
They were hard but must have been formed from powdery sugar as they were dull not shiny.
Yes! The gum does not taste the same as it did years ago.
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I find most people LOVE or HATE these delectable mints.
Ive only had one pastille, and though it was OK (and lasted too long in my mouth), I love the smell of them! That just seems the nature of violet flavoring.
It reminds me of the flower scent in a funeral home!
I def agree with the comments about the size and hardness of the gum.
Personally Im more interested in the orange blossom ice cream. Ive searched all over the internet & am afraid theyre just not available! I LOVE them. Chowards gum has the exact same taste and when I tried it a few months ago, it took me back in time.
I fail EVERY time.Curses!!! I need some VIOLETS!!!! #39 Hi Mike, what is the new product? The commenting policy for Candy Blog (and simply good form for life) is that anyone with an affiliation with a candy company (or store) should declare that affiliation.
To this day the scent of violet makes me think of those dolls. One or two are just right.
I just love the Violet Chowards, and traiditonal Neccos, which are much more easier to find than the Chowards Candy(Universal Hollywood Sparkys Swell Stuff has it on the Citywalk. What gum would you like to see us review? Amber on 12/08/08 at 9:43 am, Comment by I too love the Violet Candy!
And then when I eat them, I feel like I am getting my fix. The color, lets face it, is something you just wanna string up on a necklace or something.
I simply love violet scented gum and the mints! More for me!
Ivonne on 1/08/08 at 12:36 pm, Comment by
SteveCarras on 12/11/14 at 7:43 pm, Comment by
Ann Marie on 10/27/13 at 5:29 am, Comment by
I don't really care for the taste. They were little dolls with insanely huge heads and long, stylable hair that smelled of violets.
Does anyone know where I can purchase them. You would just need the smallest amount.
It turned out beautifully but has caused my violet addiction to go overboard! Just being a wiseass.
By the way, I still have my doll and the lily of the valley one, and they still have a faint scent after 40 years!
Bonnie on 11/15/09 at 12:24 am, Comment by The candies themselves are white in color and have an anis seed in the very middle. I remember I bought some as a tween and offered some to my cousin and my mothers friends sons.
Ive also had candied violet petals which were also pretty good (but still reminded me of those damn dolls). Hi, my name is Sharron and I am addicted to violets!
Mary Ellen on 4/04/07 at 10:16 am, Comment by
The mints are more tolerable. Rob Baribault on 8/03/09 at 8:15 am, Comment by
all friends all either absolutely love them or hate them.
All of them decolined. Jamie on 12/31/69 at 4:00 pm, Comment by
It came in bulk & she always brought me about 1/2 lb in a white candy bag.
Sweets Obsessed Twitter List - many of the above candy aficionados also maintain awesome Twitter postings, you can follow along here. Why Mike decided to come to this blog and leave a comment (like so many others Ive seen on other sites that discuss C.Howards) seems a bit suspect and Ive removed his further comments.
crispin on 12/31/69 at 4:00 pm, Comment by
My friend is a smoker and she really likes them as a breath-freshener.
Price: unknown (but have seen regular Chowards for $1.25)
The gum, however, is pretty cool.
It's very similar to "Scents" gum that was hugely popular with the hippies back in the 1960's.
I had the perfume & jewelry ones each one had a different scent depending on their flower association.
omg i love violets i call them lavendar sexcies and i eat three to four packs a day. All - you can get the Violet pastilles at Walgreens, at the check-out counter.
If you search google for that youll find an apothecary shop on amazon who sells them.
I discovered Chowards Violet Mints at the Brewster General Store, and the scent totally reminds me of the violet doll that the writer pictured!
My grandmother used to buy it in Chicago (in bulk at a department store) and I LOVED them.
For a while Mashti himself was slipping me a special ginger, cardamom and saffron ice cream until they discontinued it.
Ummm it actually sounds pretty revolting to me but Im sure plenty of people will find it awesome. if you pay more youre probably in outer space.
My friend describes the taste as good tasty soapiness.
Im absolutely addicted to them!!!! I accidentally unsubscribed to this blog. Even yesterday at school they were eating them >.<. Next time I am in LA or Glendale I will seek them out.
Deborah Kelch on 8/11/15 at 8:15 pm, Comment by .
On a completely unrelated issue my favorite music albums are ones i did not like the first time I heard them.
Words cannot express my confusion. Candy Critic - an exhaustive site of candy reviews from Canada, Collecting Candy - Jason shares his immense collection of candy wrappers and historical perspective to confectionery, The Candy Enthusiast - Sera's intricate notes & fabulous pictures of candy from around the world, Candy Gurus - Matty, Scotty & Jonny put candy to the test - it can be harsh but all done with love, Candy Professor - Yes, a real professor writes about candy and its place in American history, Candy Yum Yum - Patti's thoughts on candy as a writer and professional taste tester, Chocablog - UK based group blog with chocolate reviews from all over Europe. They dont really dissolve so much as just slowly deteriorate in your mouth. ooo = Pleasant, but lacking that special something. Shawna on 10/19/06 at 8:02 am, Comment by The website is Paul the Red on 10/31/06 at 8:08 pm, Comment by I bought two.
Anonymous on 12/31/69 at 4:00 pm, Comment by .
I really cant believe there are so many people like me that are addict this candy,You wouldnt believe how many packs a day i eat. I feel so lady-like with a tin of Flavignys. This company has a new product out as well. Maybe I am clearing my teeth and tongue of grease and dirt build-up?I'm both fascinated and horrified by this stuff and am going to buy more so I can force it upon everyone I meet, just to watch their expressions.
These old violets were like little pillows (maybe 1/2 by 1/2 & sometimes thered be a row or more of them stuck together.
SteveCarras on 12/13/14 at 8:30 pm, Comment by
I only have them when I find them in a specialty shop. It just reminds me of my childhood in NYC. I love violits so much.They remined me of my dad he gave them to me all the time,now I keep a case in my car under my car set, at all times hello! oops!
I love violet pastilles. I love these candies.
i tried and tried to stop craving for them, but no success, its so bad that in the last 3 years i gain at least 40lbs, and had gastric bypass!, damn i got to atleast slow down, what the hell is in these mints!
They absolutely LOVE them, and I just dont see it.
guenther on 7/08/09 at 6:26 am, Comment by Comment 31, did you ever find the Violet Chiclets? Over a week ago I bought some and once home mixed em with ice cream (did similiar as I mention on the Neccos entry with todays Neccos, only in yogurt.. Canels gums the only other violet flavored one.
I bought a package, then went back 3 hours later and bought 2 more packs. Good luck in your endeavor =), where is the cheapest place (rates) to order Chowards violets?
Doesnt a soft fondant-y violet candy that melts in your mouth sound good? The scent of violets must be somewhere in my memory. if you love violet Chowards and ice cream (as you i need therapy or some kind of help b4 i gian too much weight, these mints are 100 calories a pack! 
Violet gum is the best gum I have ever had. ), Glad to see my posts, but as of course youd know, Cybele my belle, only the first post shoulda been posted, I thought that the posting mechanisms or whatever were on the blink:).
We'd love to hear from you!
the mints are my FAVORITE!
SteveCarras on 12/11/14 at 6:55 pm, Comment by
Ive been looking online for retro candy stores but no luck. choward candy chowards oldtimecandy By the way, the dolls were called Lucky Locket Kiddles and they came in plastic perfume bottles attached to a cord neclace and little collectable plastic perfume bottles that just sat on your dresser.
heres a picture of itbut this one doesnt have the crystalized violet atop it. so Delicious!!
While my cousins where buying Hershey bars, I was buying Violets! One of the best things about this gum is that no one seems to ask me for some gum more than once.
Mary Ellen. Liberty Natural is another great company. I get comfort from them. When I was a kid in the 60s I used to buy them at a drug store next to the movie theater before wed go watch a movie. my brother works at The Fat Duck restaurant and they make a killer candy violet tart.
I had no trouble buying these mints in NY but I am now in Vegas and only World Market has them albeit stale and overpiced. I have said since my first encounter (I kissed a guy who had just finished a mint!) I dont know why the violet texture was so much more, um, sturdy, but it wasnt really appealing. Ann Marie on 8/12/15 at 6:12 am, Comment by
I just finished a package of the violet mints. I loved the Chowardshad some here in Whittier,CAL! How about something tangy?
Then I came back to the office after the weekend and it smelled like violets, Oh, I forgot all about them! Well, now Ive photographed them and chewed them up and can speak knowlegably about them.
As far as the complaints about this gum losing it's flavor quickly and being too small, if the reviewer knew anything about the history of chewing gum, they would know that all vintage gums lost their flavor quickly, and most, for a long time, were Chicklet-sized (except Wrigley's - which also lost it's flavor quickly).
Is this the beginning of another blog? I love the smell and taste of these mints. Everyone, I,too,as a tween loved Chowards and Thanksgiving Weekend this year, (see below date), This particular candy also came in a black version which I guess was licorice or anise flavored which I actually prefer to the purple ones.
They didnt taste soapy to me.
(*.*).
Did they???
Cybele:
His smell drew me to him and at first i could not figure out where or what he smelt like and reminded me so much of something.
Like Hedgie Hog above me, my friends described it as some sort of soap taste. Cybele - this is the most fun comment stream! In fact, I brought it to work and shared with others becuase I found the taste so unique.
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I LOVE the violet CHowards..Ive bought them before just last week.Mary Ellen: Ive also had them mixed in ice cream, the same night I bought them.
I LOVE them!
I never owned any (I think my friend down the street, Lisa did though) but I can recall wanting them badly. Im going to have to agree with melita on this one. Hope this helps. Im still a NY"er in heart And I miss the smell and Taste of a VIOLET. You should try the Flavigny violet pastilles. This review is honest and it should have been more harsh on the nasty taste of this gum that tastes like soap. It does a good job of removing unpleasant tastes from your mouth, such as morning breath, cigar smoke, or coffee -- and although I am 32 years old, the flavor is reminiscent of a pre-1950's taste preference.
Like most violet flavored things, it had a hint of soap about it.
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Jamie, I will look for those. I LOVED the Kiddles!
I am looking for an old type of violet candy that my aunt used to bring me back in the 60s. Bonnie on 1/07/10 at 1:42 am, Comment by
They carrie them at World Market (where I found them a year ago).
Im down to my last 2 mints and am wondering if there is anywhere else in Indianapolis to find these little gems.
Mike is the webmaster for C.Howards. Nonetheless, if anyone can ever discover Chiclets Violet Gum, I wish they would post about it.
well, at least I didnt have to share!
But some of your other comments are a little unsupported.Okay so liking or disliking the flavor is a matter of "taste" (pun intended) and so cannot really be argued.But when you claim that a fragrance cannot be refreshing, well, that just makes it sound like you lost your sense of smell in a freak accident or in battle or something.
So I just tried some of this today because I saw it in an OldeTymey candy store this weekend and who wouldn't be drawn to a pictureless package that simply states "Scented Gum"?It tastes like Noxema. It just means that I dont plan on buying it again.
so whenever I need one I just reach under my seat and forfill my needs.Im addiceted. laura docter on 1/21/10 at 6:30 am, Comment by I LOVE the smell at the counter!
I swear I need to stop eating these because when I eat them, thats all I eat. that I wish the made this in a spray! Comment on #23 and 58I too have been looking for the violet square candy that is kind of small and powder sugar like.
I can only find them in the auctions around my area though.
SteveCarras on 12/10/14 at 5:23 pm, Comment by The Chocolate Life - more than just a chocolate blog, this is Clay Gordon's chocolate community with forums & a place for you to blog, too.
Well, this gum is the same way, I quickly grew to love it, and it is by a far margin my favorite gum.
She always had a package of this violet candy in her pocket and it was a special treat when I could get her to give one up.