Caramelle al' The

 

You really can't go wrong with candy recipes that have stood the test of time. Except maybe for horehounds, but more on that later. Cedrinca hasn't been around for quite as long as horehounds and maybe that's a good thing, but the recipes they use are the same ones they came up with in 1910 on the shores of Garda Lake. The Caramelle al' The are the first I've tried of this Italian candymaker and I have to say they caught my attention.

 

The translation on the package reads Tea Candies in Peach and Lemon flavours and as soon as you open the bag the fruity and herbal scent couldn't be more apparent. The candies are individually wrapped in delicate pastel wax paper and their pale colors reflect the absence of artificial dyes. I liked peach the best. I used to drink Celestial Seasonings Country Peach Passion back in the days when I thought tea was best when there was more sugar and cream than water (...yesterday?). The peach caramelle flavor tastes almost exactly like that tea and it reminds me of happy and cozy evenings in my parents' house. The tea candies are hard and a little gooey on the outside and stick all over your teeth if you chew too soon.

I bought mine at the little Italian store called DeLaurenti next to Pike Place Market, but I would guess you could find them in lots of specialty Italian grocery stores. Do you have any favorite Italian candies?

This candy makes me think of: Colorado Sight-Seeing