Salt Water Taffy

Ahh, salt water taffy, the quintessential boardwalk chew and quaint candy of yesteryear... or so you think. Two Atlantic City companies have long vied for supremacy in the salt water taffy hierarchy, with results that have historically been as sticky as the treat itself.

In one corner is Fralinger's. Founded by Joseph Fralinger in the 1880s, the company was the home of classic tube-shaped salt water taffies and originator of the tourist favorite "Atlantic City Souvenir"-a box packed with one pound of Fralinger's finest. In the other corner is James'. Founded later in the same decade by Enoch James, this second candymaker was the home of the "cut-to-fit-the-mouth" shape and the originator of a smoother recipe that is easier on the teeth and less apt to stick to the wrapper.

Over the next century-plus, taffy fans chose sides, either going tubular for Fralinger's or smoothin' for James'. Each company developed such a loyal customer base that when Fralinger's and James' joined forces in the 1980s, they decided to maintain separate manufacturing lines in order maintain the taffy equilibrium.

A clear winner emerged, however, with the introduction of the Fabulous Flavors line in 2004. Cut in the fit-to-mouth style and sold under the James' brand, these new salt water taffy sensations are available in five different collections-twenty flavors in all. Our favorite of the bunch is Pucker Them Lips, a salt water taffy assortment for the new millennium that boasts flavors-Sour Apple, Sour Grape, Sour Cherry, and Sour Lemon-that are rich, yet subtly tangy.

It's been more than 125 years, but salt water taffy fans can all hail a new, fabulous king.