One True Staple

As Valentine’s Day gets more & more over-the-top each year, there seems to only be One True Staple. No, not boxes full of chocolates or balloon shaped hearts. The One True Staple are the plain & simple Conversation Hearts. Produced by a number of companies, with sayings G-Rated to Simply-Risque, the Conversation Heart is the one thing that is here to stay. After eating these, for perhaps the first time in my life, I am here to say these are a better decoration than dessert.

I’ve received many a box of Conversation Hearts in my day but, I am just about certain I have never tried them. The first thing I noticed, after opening the bag of Brach’s, was the intensely sweet smell. The scent of sugar was literally pouring out of this bag. And not just any type of sugar…it was the sweetest of sweet sugars possible. It is hard to describe just how sweet this smell was. After popping one into my mouth, I realized that these are said to be a variety of flavors.

I tried 2 different colors – white and green – and I could not tell a difference in flavor whatsoever. The consistency was quite chalky and I felt like a film of sugar was left coating my entire mouth when I finished these. The taste was so overly sweet…so odd…so blah. I can see now why I have never had these before – I must have known they were simply no bueno. I also found these to be very, almost sticky, in a sense. I’m sure this had to do with the intense amounts of sugar floating in each and every one.

Valentine’s Day only comes around once a year yet, we will produce upwards of 8 Billion Hearts this year alone. Billion. With a B. If you are looking for a special treat to get that special someone, avoid Conversation Hearts. These intensely sweet flavors, chalky consistency and sticky selves will leave your mouth a wreck. But, if you are looking for a fun way to say ‘I Love You’ than these are for you. Conversation Hearts are the One True Staple – minus Love of course – of Valentine’s Day.