Here on the corner of Napoleon and St. Charles Avenues in the Uptown neighborhood of New Orleans, the Roman Chewing Candy cart offers sticks of taffy for $1 to parade-goers.
The company was started in 1915 by the Cortese family, and the price used to be 5 cents, for your choice of vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry taffy. The recipe was invented by Angelina Napoli Cortese, from the family tradition in Sicily.The company and the mule-drawn cart is now run by Angelina's great-grandson, Ron Kotteman. This treat is so unique its story has been documented by the Southern Foodways Alliance. If you go to the website, you can read an interview with Ron telling the story of his family and what his life is like.
We bought a stick of vanilla. It was about a foot long, wrapped in waxed paper; sweet and sticky and chewy enough to pull out your fillings, if you're not careful. If you want to try this traditional treat, come visit New Orleans or go to this website: Roman Candy.
You only get to meet Ron and the mule if you come to New Orleans, though - and you can follow him on Twitter.
I've never seen anything like that! How fun...although my teeth might not handle it!
ReplyDeleteIt was about a foot long, wrapped in waxed paper; sweet and sticky and chewy enough to pull out your fillings, if you're not careful.
ReplyDeleteMy days of chewing that stuff seem to be over...I acquired a lot of fillings in my youth.
These get some of the blame.
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fascinating!
ReplyDeleteId so love to come for Mardi Gras!
Aloha from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
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Love the history behind the pictures, and it's great that it has been in the family all this time! Thanks.
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