It’s easy to think of Necco Wafers as just another “old school” candy, and they definitely are that in one sense of the phrase. They’ve been around a while, gaining particular popularity during World War II — but their mark on history was imprinted much, much earlier. In fact, what’s now called the Necco Wafer began its walk of candy fame in 1847, treading across the American story through Civil War, foreign battles, and major milestones of a growing nation. They’re still available today, albeit with a brief hiatus, leading to the question: What exactly are these pastel, disc-shaped cuties rolled and stacked inside crinkly wax paper coverings?
Necco Wafers are the brainchild of a Boston pharmacist named Oliver Chase, who invented a lozenge-cutting machine for dispensing circular-shaped medicines. To make them palatable for patients, he cloaking the medicine in “sugar dough” and crunchy texture, setting the stage for the later New England Candy Company and its acronym: Necco. That cutting machine for medical lozenges was one of the country’s earliest candy-making machines, and those little wafers still come in the original eight flavors loved for generations: orange, licorice, clove, wintergreen, chocolate, cinnamon, lemon, and lime.
As for taste, it’s complicated, as the saying goes. Necco Wafers often fall into “love it or hate it” territory. As a longtime lover of Necco’s, I’d describe the consistency as soft-yet-snappy with noticeable chalkiness. Flavors sit prominently on the tongue, made mostly with the original formula from way-back-when. Reportedly, attempted changes in 2009 failed, as Necco candy fans just weren’t having it.
Ingredients and flavor complexity
The Necco company reportedly tried to go semi-natural in 2009 by eliminating artificial color and flavors, but Necco fans love what they love, so back came the classic well-loved flavors (with one modern tweak of deepening the cocoa flavor in the chocolate discs). I personally consider the overall Necco flavor persona as being sweet and aromatic with a tinge of menthol freshness. Online forums reveal user’s reaction to the decidedly retro flavors, some noting the distinct tastes of licorice, clove, and mint. Others give a nod to lemon merengue pie or the subtle spicy heat of cinnamon wafers. Many say they taste like chalk, but good chalk, according to one fan.
The actual ingredients in Necco Wafers are similar to other hard candies, but with Necco interpretations. They’re pretty straightforward: sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, natural and artifical flavoring, vegetable gums (like gum tragacanth, Arabic, and xanthan), chocolate (in the chocolate discs), and various colorings. There’s no fat and no gluten — just lots of flavor and lots of nostalgia.
Unfortunately, New England Confectionery Company closed in 2018, but the Spangler Candy Company of Bryan, Ohio, bought the product in bankruptcy proceedings. The candies disappeared from stores for a couple of years but returned in 2020, reclaiming its rightful spot in Americana lore — and on our Tasting Table list of classic New England candies you can still buy today. You’ll find them in supermarkets, drug stores, dollar stores, and venues selling retro candy.
