Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Smoky Mountain Taffy Logs


(Click image for full view)

I grew up in Nashville, TN. About once a year, we'd take family trips to Gatlinburg, TN. It's right near the Tennessee / North Carolina border, it's right near Dolly Parton's Dollywood theme park, and there's enough ephemera there for me to start an entire new bloggue site about... but I won't. I'll just talk about the taffy available at the Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen.

The Candy Kitchen is a crowned jewel amidst a seemingly endless strip of gift shops, Baskin Robbinses, Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museums, and at least a dozen pancake restaurants, Old Tyme Photos, Olde Timey Portraits, Old Time Photo Portraits, and cuckoo clock shops. The store is split in half, with the 360ยบ walkaround display counter on the right and the taffy production area on the left. At any given moment, you can watch the taffy machine pulling a batch of this fantastic snack. Available in a multitude of flavors, the taffy can be purchased in 1/2 lb or 1 lb boxes and you can have a box custom-filled with whatever combination of taffies you want. I really think chocolate, vanilla, and peanut butter are the ways to go.

Taste (7) The flavors are all mild, but they're there. It's just the right amount of flavor.

Packaging (9) This truly is about as good as it gets. All those little scenes of leisurely mountain life. The dude fishing, the bears approaching the beehive, the hoedown, it's incredible.

Overall snackability rating (9) They're delicious, the box is awesome, and they remind me of days of yore.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Snacking on a box right now. I dont think it is healthy to eat a whole pound at one sitting, but they are soooo good, you just cant stop yourself. We get about 5 pounds of the cinnamon taffy every year we go to Gatlinburg. I have even had them mail me a box or two threw the years. Best Taffy I Have Ever Had!!!