Know Your Obscure Halloween Candy: Raisinets

With Halloween coming soon, that means only one thing really: candy.

Anyone who trick-or-treated as a child knows that there's always one or two houses that dish out some obscure candy. So, between now and October 31st, we'll take quick looks at obscure candies (and some popular ones as well), just so you know what exactly you're getting yourself into.


Today:  Raisinets

Looks like someone is about to make my candy shiny!

What it's made of: Varies slightly based on where it's made. Generally milk chocolate covering a raisin. (Please tell me that was a given for you.) But many varieties include a lovely coating of shellac to give the tiny choco-grape a shiny glow.

Do you know what shellac actually is? No--no, you probably don't, other than knowing you've heard the word before. Because you've been a great disappointment in your parents' life and never got that medical/engineering/science degree.

Shellac is a resin secreted from the female lac bug--and used in many functions of furniture and home design. Primer, varnish, sanding sealants--they all use shellac. And, most likely, so does your chocolate-covered raisin of choice. Those little misshapen chocolate balls will now remind you more of poop than ever before.

Who owns it:  Nestlé

Background:  Chocolate-covered raisins have no concrete origin story. Mesoamerican cultures threw cocoa on everything in sight hundreds centuries ago. If it was edible, there's a solid chance some Mesoamerican group decided to dabble in a little culinary magic and cover it with cocoa.

For the western/European world, it's believed the chocolate-covered raisin came from what is now modern day Germany, where a folk tale mentions "kleine Schokokugeln," which apparently means "little chocolate balls." (It's a known fact you can never say anything in German and have it sound quaint or lovely. "Little chocolate balls" ends up sounding like a death threat or demand from a dictator.)

A fairly common children's German prayer also gives a shout-out to the chocolate balls, but in more detail: "Meine kleine Schokokugeln, oh, wie edel man die Früchte hängen nach unten zu verherrlichen. Mein Weinberg weint mit guter Laune an diesem Geschenk des Himmels." If Hansel and Gretel didn't just pop into your head while reading that, I don't know what to say. Apparently it translates to "My little chocolate balls, oh, how nobly you glorify the fruit hanging down. My vineyard weeps with good cheer at this gift from heaven."

You see that? God even gives gifts of chocolate around the holidays. You're not cheap for giving out $5 bags of Lindt.

The American Raisinet hit the marketplace in 1927, slowly becoming a staple at movie theaters that weep with good cheer at the sight of your wallet. The following ad from 1990 is disturbing on a variety of levels, not the least of which is how a creepy mother with a seductive smile is apparently making it rain Raisinets on small children.



It's all fun and games until little Suzy loses an eye from a Rainset coming in hot at 400mph.

In Britain, a chocolate brand called Paynes Poppets dominates the marketplace, but Paynes--like the Mesoamericans--will cover most anything in chocolate, including raisins. Mesoamericans = Modern day Brits.

In Canada, something called a Glosette is their chocolate-covered raisin of choice. Because Canada lost all imagination and just embraces shiny shellac at this point.

What it tastes like:  The United Nations of candy.

Halloween Trick-or-Treat Grade:  C+

If someone gives you Raisinets while trick-or-treating, yell "Ich bin ein Berliner!" at them. Keep people guessing.