Amerika

Life Savers
Spear-O-Mint hard candies
$4/6oz

How does a traditionalist live? There’s many layers to that question. Beyond the big stuff, which includes questions of values and activity, there’s the question of everyday life. Our world is toxic: we are surrounded by bad imagery, destructive ideas, nearly poisonous food, degraded behavior and few options for our families as substitutes for the pleasures that mainstream people enjoy.

Take candy, for example. Reading the ingredients alone is a chemistry research project, and when you look at it, with its radioactive neon colors and odd non-natural consistencies, it’s hard to think about cheerfully giving it to your kids. “Hi kids, here’s some synthetic frankensugar ADHD-in-a-box to keep you happy!”

It’s baffling that our society thinks it even needs so many candy options. First, candy isn’t that important; even to kids, it’s only one part of a world of delights to explore. Further, it’s a passive activity. It’s mentally healthier to be doing something and derive a reward from the accomplishment. But in the meantime, candy is also fun, and we like fun… and sugar.

Sometimes it’s the older candy designs that come out ahead. You could buy boutique all natural candies, but nearly anywhere you go you can find one of the American stalwarts: Life Savers. Specifically, their classic Spear-O-Mint flavor. Here’s the ingredients list:

Sugar, Corn Syrup, Natural Flavor, Stearic Acid.

For modern candy, this is positively denatured. Then again, what makes classic candies good are the flavors artfully embedded within them. In this case, these candies are overflowing with mint flavor from natural mint oils. The Spear-O-Mint flavor, as opposed to the Pep-O-Mint (their other naturally flavored selection), is peppery with almost floral undertones. It’s a complex flavor, and easily as good as the Pep-O-Mint with a little more zing.

Not all Life Savers are this undisturbed from their natural form. The fruity ones tend to use artificial colors and flavors, and are radiant bright unearthly objects like plastic or digital screens. However, for an old time candy classic that contains a minimum of stuff that’s bad for you, the mint Lifesavers are a good option.

You have to be careful, however. The Wint-O-Green mints are not naturally flavored, and taste a bit like a plastic branch of mint rendered in a computer. However, the Pep-O-Mint and Spear-O-Mint stay true to tradition and are as simple and delicious a candy as you’ll find anywhere.