on the Idaho Spud

First of all, I must apologize to my mom for writing this about the Idaho Spud. She used to tell us she had a treat ("What is it?" "It's a secret . . . " ) if we would clear our places after dinner and then go put on our pajamas, and then she would come out with a case of Idaho Spuds. I think she was really excited at the thought of that case of Idaho Spuds under her bed that she had bought to share together as a family. And it was fun to sit at the dinner table wearing enormous T-shirts for pajamas and eat Idaho Spuds before we went to bed. I cherish those memories of the old house in Kimberly. Thanks for the treats, Mom. I really do appreciate the many times you bought secret treats for us and we enjoyed them together. (They weren't always Idaho Spuds--for example, I distinctly remember feeling very excited one time when several Hershey's Cookies 'N' Cream candy bars were revealed, and there were many other yummy treats.)

What is an Idaho Spud? It's kind of a candy bar. The center is chocolate "marshmallow," and the "marshmallow" is covered in chocolate, which has coconut sprinkled all over it. Idaho Spuds look kind of like a potato--hence the name.

The reason marshmallow has quotation marks around it is because, in the words of Candy Addict, the marshmallow is very slimy. That is why I didn't really like Idaho Spuds. The texture of the "marshmallow" just didn't really appeal to me. Other than that, they were fine. Then again, I guess I'm not terribly fond of marshmallows in general, unless they're melted (NOT burned) and put on a s'more.

I think there are a lot of people out there who love the Idaho Spud for sentimental reasons. It's a really old, classic candy. There's something about them that makes you think about all the things you like and miss about Idaho. It does that for me too. The thought of that brown wrapper brings back images of Shoshone Falls, sagebrush, Grocery Outlet, fields, our long gravel driveway, ditches, tractors, wind whipping my hair and the trees, and more. So if you like Idaho Spuds, I can understand and respect that. Some people like the taste, and of course not all candy has the ability to take you back in time like Idaho Spuds. But I probably will not be buying any next time I go back to Idaho.

So are the loyal Idahoans going to come lynch me now?