Here I was ringing in a quarter-century new year, and just weeks later disappointment crashed the party with the discontinuation of one of my favourite chocolate treats.
In a rack of chocolate bars, there was always a special place in my heart for the little yellow Cherry Blossom box.
Originated by the Walter M. Lowney Company (a.k.a. Lowney’s, owned by Hershey’s since 2008), the Cherry Blossom was known for its maraschino cherry suspended in a sweet syrup and coconut flakes, and wrapped in a nutty, chocolate shell.
And while I recognize it is not for everyone, the question is what could possibly replace it now that it is extinct? Full disclosure: I have a stockpile of 15 courtesy of the Kwik-Way at Elm Street.
That has become my March mission.
The Candy Store in downtown Sudbury caters to vintage candy lovers and takes customers on a nostalgic throwback.
Carrie Lajoie manages the storefront at the end of Durham Street.
“I didn’t know the Cherry Blossom was so popular until the announcement came that they were discontinued,” she says.
Lajoie has stocked her shelves with Christopher’s Big Cherry out of California.
“Now suddenly everyone wants this candy imported from the U.S.” Lajoie adds.
In my taste test, I noted that the peanut chocolate exterior was similar however the interior is not a drippy syrup consistency. It’s a very heavy, thick and pasty substance. That being said, it tastes similar and is also comparable in density, shape and size.
For those looking for something local and Canadian to satisfy their Cherry Blossom cravings, they can visit Huckleberries Chocolatiers on Durham Street downtown.
Known for its handmade local chocolate for 30-plus years, owner Denise Regaudie wants people to consider cordial cherries.
A “cordial” is a type of confection that is liquid-filled in a chocolate shell. The ones at Huckleberries are made with a semi-sweet chocolate, which makes it better somehow as it counters the sweetness of the inside layers.
“Everytime I make the cordial cherries, I inject them with a fondant that needs about a week to settle,” Regaudie said.
The cordial cherry has more of a familiar drippy consistency similar to the Cherry Blossom, but you will need about three of the smaller treats to satisfy the craving.
Purdy’s Chocolates, based out of British Columbia since 1907, also sells cordial cherries in a sustainable cocoa dark chocolate to help Canadian customers in mourning.
Last month, the company even offered the cordial cherry for free to customers who turned in their empty Cherry Blossom boxes.
Similar to the local chocolatier, these juicy maraschino cherries covered with fondant sugar and chocolate were developed by Purdy founder Richard Carmon Purdy and are still being produced by his extended family.
Julia Cho, the director of marketing for Purdy’s, said, “Unlike the Cherry Blossom, our Cordial Cherries are made with dark chocolate, without the addition of shredded coconut or roasted peanuts, letting the bold cherry and deep chocolate flavours truly shine.”
To add more cherries, Purdy’s has also released a Pistachio Cherry Bark made with dark chocolate, hazelnuts, pistachios and tart cherries.
Of course, the last and most costly alternative is to head to online buy-direct sites like EBay or Etsy.
Some sellers are cashing in on the loss of the Cherry Blossom and selling the little yellow boxes for $10 a piece.
And for those readers grossed out by the idea of Cherry Blossoms altogether. I’ll admit, I was not a fan at first. I caught the bug from my mother, but it took many years.
I guess sadly, the next generation, a lost generation will not be afforded such an opportunity.
Anastasia Rioux is a writer in Greater Sudbury. Let’s Eat! is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.