Almond Joy
 An Almond Joy candy bar | |||||||
| Type | Candy bar | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States | ||||||
| Creator | The Hershey Company | ||||||
| 220 kcal (921 kJ) | |||||||
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| Other information | Nutritional information source:[1] | ||||||
 Media: Almond Joy | |||||||
An Almond Joy is a candy bar manufactured by Hershey's. It consists of a coconut-based center topped with one or two almonds, the combination enrobed in a layer of milk chocolate. Almond Joy is the sister product of Mounds, which is a similar confection but without the almond and coated instead with dark chocolate; it also features similar packaging and logo design, but in a red color scheme instead of Almond Joy's blue.
History
The Peter Paul Candy Manufacturing Company was founded by six Armenian immigrants in 1919, introducing the Mounds bar in 1921, which became a hit with the U.S. military during World War II, who by 1944 purchased 80% of their production for use in rations (5 million bars/month).[2] The Almond Joy bar was introduced in 1946 as a replacement for the Dreams Bar, which was introduced in 1934, consisting of diced almonds and coconut covered with dark chocolate.[3] In 1978 Peter Paul merged with the Cadbury-Schweppes company of England. In 1988 Hershey’s purchased the United States rights to their chocolate business for $300 million, which included the Mounds, Almond Joy, and Peppermint Patties brands, in addition to Cadbury-only products like Dairy Milk and Carmello.[4]
During the 1970s Peter Paul used the jingle "Sometimes you feel like a nut / Sometimes you don't / Almond Joy's got nuts / Mounds don't," to advertise Almond Joy and Mounds in tandem. In a play on words, the "feel like a nut" portion of the jingle was typically played over a clip of someone acting like a "nut", i.e., engaged in an unconventional activity, such as riding on a horse backward.[5]
In the 2000s Hershey began producing variations of the product, including a limited edition Piña Colada and Double Chocolate Almond Joy in 2004, a limited edition White Chocolate Key Lime and Milk Chocolate Passion Fruit Almond Joy in 2005, and a limited edition Toasted Coconut Almond Joy in 2006.
Similar products
Bounty (produced by Mars, Incorporated) is a popular European version of Almond Joy, similar in shape and make-up, although without the almond (like Mounds, but sometimes with milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate, though Bounty is also sold in dark chocolate). F.B. Washburn Candy Corporation produced the Waleeco chocolate covered coconut candy bar for many years.[6]
In popular culture
- Train buffs have noticed a resemblance between the M3 (a type of subway car built by the Budd Company for Philadelphia's public transportation system) and this candy, due to humps in the roof containing ventilation fans. They refer to the cars as "Almond Joys".
- The advertising slogan "sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't" was featured in the funk/dance song "Wide Receiver" by Michael Henderson.
- In Weeds, Almond Joy was the favorite candy of Nancy's late husband, Judah. Episode nine of season two uses the candy's theme song.
- In the movie Kelly's Heroes, a case of Almond Joy bars is seen in the background behind Don Rickles' supply depot desk, as he is speaking with Clint Eastwood. This is an anachronism since Almond Joy was not introduced until 1946.
- In the song "Gett Off", by Prince, "Strip your dress down like I was strippin' a Peter Paul's Almond Joy".
- One of the Allman Brothers' early band names was the Allman Joys.
- In the movie Welcome to Woop Woop Teddy proclaims his love for the Almond Joy bar after Angie proclaims her love for the Cherry Ripe bar.
- In Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David used the "crime" that his cousin stole an Almond Joy for him once as a failed attempt to get out of jury duty, before the second and successful attempt in which he referred to the defendant being a negro.
- In the seventh episode of season two of Parks and Recreation, Ron Swanson asks Ann if there is any candy at her party other than Almond Joy, as he is allergic to almonds and they "give [him] the squirts".
- The song "Chocolate Jesus" by Tom Waits on the album Mule Variations mentions Almond Joy.
- In the episode of The Simpsons entitled "Lisa the Drama Queen", Lisa bought an Almond Joy in the Kwik-e-Mart for her first play date with her new friend, Juliet.
- Har Mar Superstar's album Dark Touches features a song named after the candy bar where it is used as a typically sexual metaphor for comic effect.
- Sherman's Lagoon ran a strip on October 6, 2010 that made reference to an Almond Joy.[7]
- In the song "Brown Skin" by India.Arie (from her album Acoustic Soul) she mentions Almond Joy alongside other Hershey's products.
- In the Glee episode The Purple Piano Project, Brittany Pierce says that she and lover Santana Lopez are like Almond Joys.
- On the Sunday, October 16, 2011 NFL Blitz segment of Sportscenter, Chris Berman said "Pierre Paul, isn't that the almond joy and mounds place" in reference to New York Giants Defensive End Jason Pierre-Paul
- In the 1991 movie Hudson Hawk starring Bruce Willis, Lorraine Toussaint's character, a CIA agent, is named Almond Joy. Other CIA agents in the film are named after candy bars.[8]
- In the song "Lonely City" from the album "Lonely City" by Canadian underground hip-hop artists Specifics, a reference is made when MC Golden Boy says "girl you got the sweet sophistication of an almond joy".
- In the webcomic Whomp! the main character Ronnie is shown to be a big consumer of Almond Joy [9]
References
- ↑ "Almond Joy Bar". The Hershey Company. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
- ↑ http://ctexplored.org/peter-pauls-path-to-sweet-success/
- ↑ "Nearly everything you wanted to know about Peter Paul". Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ↑ http://qz.com/334333/how-cadbury-lost-the-right-to-sell-its-own-chocolate-in-the-us/
- ↑ TeeVee Toons: The Commercials, 1989
- ↑ http://www.fbwashburncandy.com/about.php
- ↑ Sherman's Lagoon
- ↑ Hudson Hawk (1991) - IMDb
- ↑ Whomp! September 12 2011
External links
- Almond Joy official website
- Information from the great-granddaughter of Peter Paul's first candy maker
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