WigWag Bar from the Tuck Shop

While we are speaking of candy and cultural touchstones: does anyone else remember the WigWag bar? It was a long, thin chocolate bar that consisted of caramel shaped in a lattice pattern, covered with chocolate. I used to buy them at the tuck shop at the Hamilton YMCA.

The tuck shop is something that Catherine and I share: we both had tuck shops figure prominently in our childhoods, hers at summer camp, and mine at both summer camp and at the YMCA. I’ve met a lot of people, though, who look at me strangely when I start talking about tuck shops (or about “tuck,” the products they sell), so I gather the term is not universal.

Comments

Ajay M's picture
Ajay M on January 20, 2010 - 10:33 Permalink

OMG…I miss the Four Flavors. That was my all-time favorite treat. I remember the Cuban Lunch, Mojos, shoelace licorice and the Danish. There is a couple others I remember…the Icebreaker…chocolate with little mint chips in it but the other one I can’t remember the name of it. It was shaped like a regular chocolate bar but not chocolate..it was caramel or butterscotch flavor. Delicious!

JW's picture
JW on January 23, 2010 - 22:51 Permalink

I remember Chew Chews, they were the best. Do you remember who the manufacturer was? Nestle? Dare?

Sharla's picture
Sharla on February 1, 2010 - 23:16 Permalink

I found alot of the retro candy on a google search. The Curly Wurly (use to be the Wig Wag) can be purchased from Ontario. Check out the website called The Big Sweet.com Cadbury makes them.

I just bought a case to hand out to some of my OLD TIMER friends….lol
Good Luck.

nimnim's picture
nimnim on February 20, 2010 - 00:25 Permalink

I remember those cookies. They were goowey, had diced nuts on the top, and finally had chocolate stripes on them. They were even stacked differently in the bag. I think they were made by Christie. I miss those so much

vince's picture
vince on April 4, 2010 - 18:47 Permalink

I read your post, and if I replaced the “had a fleet of catering trucks…..” with owned a corner grocery store, and I had the run of the Candy Counter….” I might have written the identical post. One day about 15 years ago, the memory of the chocolate bar popped into my head and I too had been trying to find out anything about it on the internet. Unfortunately, I thought the name was “Cinnabar” all along, so that kind of sidetracked by search, up until this morning, when I stumbled upon an old Neilson candy bar ad somebody posted http://www.flickr.com/photos/j…
The candy bar is indeed a Neilson Danish, and according to other posts, there was a Cinnamon and a Lemon (which I don’t recall). Happy memories !

Linda's picture
Linda on April 7, 2010 - 23:45 Permalink

One of my favorite bars, Malted Milk has recently been discontinued by Cadbury. So if you find one, consider yourself lucky.

Brian's picture
Brian on April 9, 2010 - 20:28 Permalink

Yes but the Curly Wurly, while bringing all the best back from the WigWag — and like most things these days — is so much smaller and here in NS — it’s considered an “import” candy and they charge you way too much for it — found at Pete’s Fruitique and The Freak Lunch Box.

Mikey's picture
Mikey on April 22, 2010 - 06:54 Permalink

Pizza Spins and Cheeze Willeckers. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Mikey's picture
Mikey on April 22, 2010 - 06:56 Permalink

The rootin tootin real root beer

Gary's picture
Gary on April 24, 2010 - 23:33 Permalink

I couldn’t have described the [packaging better if I tried. These were my favourite candy bar ever. Jersey Milk, Treasures and Liquid Four Flavours were not far behind. Wish someone would bring the Graham Sandwich back!

Rick in WINNIPEG's picture
Rick in WINNIPEG on April 27, 2010 - 10:02 Permalink

Ice cream cups shaped like an upside down dunce cap and with a gum ball at the bottom, kind of a sweet syrupy goo in swirls within the ice cream, different gumball at the bottom and I used to pick diff. ones, WAS called a SCREWBALL. I remember the Danish, the Cuban Lunch returned from some offshore company-probably Asia I’d think but only for awhile. Used to love jawbreakers (black balls), Popeye Cigs, black licorice pipes with small red candies for the cinder/ash, Triclets-one of my all time favs from the 70’s I do believe. The KooKoo bar-actually a pretty strange tasting taffy in the Neopolitan stripe pattern. Black Cat gum and of course firecrackers (explosives, NOT candy) we’d buy at this truck stop in Winnipeg called the Spud Stop. Ah, chewing on sugary candies and holding onto a 2-inch’er that just about blew off our fingers. This all brings back too many memories, used to be “royalty” in elementary school-would go to Jack’s Corner Store with a dollar, buy a small paper bag of penny candy, the whole school loved me. Yes you youngsters, we COULD buy candies at 2 for a penny back in the day. Can’t believe the crap we bought and consumed back then, all that sugar and we’d be talking well past a few hundred pounds of it by the time we hit adulthood. Wine gums were great. Lik-A-Maid, wax straws with really lame watery juice and giant red hot jawbreakers etc. Today some candies have returned but not the same and funny how one so old can remember the distinct flavours from then and for which are not the same today huh? Caution IS in order too, many off shore companies have picked up on some the expired patents for all things consumable from back then, candy is no exception and one must question if it’s good for you this time around. My example: Dollarama Stores in Canada now carry FRUTTINO SOFT CANDY, 45 gram package made by Rotopak in Istanbul. Dollarama sells for 3 /$1 and one wonders why. Bigger version of some mojo flavours. Please be careful with some of the products as sadly, far too many candies and other products tend to be knock-offs but extremely questionable and best advice is to buy from places like Nostalgia stores-Sugar Mountain etc. I’m just about 50 now, in good shape but still like candy. Don’t drink or smoke so it’s a vice I can live with. Lastly, no matter how many candies have come and gone, one in particular has never seemed to have changed-Spearmint Leaves-those chewy ju-jube type leaf shaped spearmint flavoured candies with sugar on them. Oh yeah, Halloween and those kisses we used to get (and chuck)? I liked those awhile ago-molasses anyway, but now anything you’d ever find would be a cheap imitation and probably really bad for you. And to those who are crying about McKintosh Toffee if large bars? A few times the company came out with collector tins around Christmas time. I know this because we used to have a Scottish neighbour who has now passed on (would be 85 today), I have the/her tins and even some of the mini hatchet/hammers for busting up the hard candy-my fav was freezing it and throwing down the stairs to the cold hard cement floor and watching it explode. I will advise now that since the world is such a changing place, some candies from yesteryear would need a re-tooling for packaging considering some of it wasn’t that tamper resistant back then but at least nobody did much to it anyway. Yes, Sponge Toffee every Saturday at the canteen for hockey games-think it was really corn syrup and cream of tartar or something and pretty good. Today, no comparison and often tastes too burnt. Happy snackin’ and thanks for the return to the good old days!

Rick in WINNIPEG's picture
Rick in WINNIPEG on April 27, 2010 - 10:17 Permalink

to add..my fav every year for Halloween? Mini Tootsie Pops-about 300-something in a bag from Walmart and only about 10 bucks. October 2010 I’m buying 4 bags at 40 bucks but nope, none for the trick-or-treaters. Now you kids talk about a choc. bar for 50 cents or so? What’s that, the 80’s to early 90’s??? LOL. We used to pay a nickel, a few pennies, buckets of candy for a buck but then again my parents also mentioned they used to walk backwards to school which was 50 miles away, it was 45 below and they wuz barefoot (ha ha). I’ll go the other way for something nasty too. Used to go to the store for the parents, carton of smokes (8 packs of 25’s) was less than 7 bucks per carton-beginning of the 70’s. Used to have this little old lady at our lake who owned this rundown house turned store and she’d somehow remove all cig packages from the cartoon and when we would get our candy in the “bag”. Parents would laugh because sometimes it was Player’s, Craven A, Benson & Hedges and so on. Geez, now, parents would freak. I don’t think a lot of these huge companies could produce some of those products again because of the way they were made-a lot by hand and real humans manning the machines. I knew a few who worked in such places and they hate candy today. Uh yeah, Lucky Elephant Pink Popcorn today, NOT like before but either way, what the h is it supposed to actually taste like?

Love candy's picture
Love candy on April 30, 2010 - 20:01 Permalink

I have been searching for the name of this bar — ate it a lot as a child and thought it was called Danish but no luck searching the net. Did you ever get it confirmed?

GlenRobert's picture
GlenRobert on May 9, 2010 - 00:15 Permalink

I believe the bar you are thinking of is the caramac.

John's picture
John on June 24, 2010 - 20:14 Permalink

Four Flavour bar and Treasure bar were two of my favourites, like getting a little package of chocolates. I remember the Cinnamon Danish bar too. I think I was the only kid in my neighbourhood that bought them. Was any one else disappointed when the plastic window on boxes like Bridge Mixture and Glossettes were replace by a picture? We used to use the boxes as a kazoos before they made that change.

Colette's picture
Colette on June 25, 2010 - 03:46 Permalink

Chew Chew cookies, I still dream of them and always find myself looking and hoping they will bring them back. They were the best ever. Why do they have to stop making such great successful things. If Only I knew the ingrediants, I’d personally start marketing them to the masses again. I’m rushing out to Superstore to see if I can find these no name Caramel coconut cookies. Thanks for the info and for triggering my cravings of Chew Chew cookies again. LOL!

Julie Lamarche's picture
Julie Lamarche on July 1, 2010 - 15:59 Permalink

I do…….it was awesome!

kerri's picture
kerri on July 11, 2010 - 03:23 Permalink

totally remember that commercial, no one else here does!!!

Rockn' Ron from the 70's's picture
Rockn' Ron from... on July 12, 2010 - 01:23 Permalink

And if they (the big 4) ever do read any of these awsome inserts from all these people from across Canada and US, listen. This comment by brent is Awsome, bring back some of the best from the 70’s, like the Wig Wag, and to its original size and yellow package, the Danish Bar especially and that alway’s awsome, Rum and Butter bar…..life would be complete for alot of us if those three came back…….where in the hell did the Snack Bar go….man they were great also…..rarely see them, when you do, someones had them so long, there stale…bring’m back..

Coffee Crisp and Caramilk, to many at Halloweens over the years„„great bars, but boring now…bring back those others….How about those 4 colored triangle candies they used to put out also, were about 6 inches high, in clear package, when you tried to bite on them they would stick to your teeth, man they were great also….

Take care, from the 10 year old kid back in 1972……..beam those bars back to us Scottie….

deborahanne's picture
deborahanne on July 24, 2010 - 01:39 Permalink

Four flavours was a great…the best!

cj's picture
cj on September 14, 2010 - 08:27 Permalink

does anyone remember the name of the white chocolate, drizzelled with cinnamon over layers of wafers seperated by more cinnamon flavored icing, sort of like a coffee mate.

they were really really awful if you got one that had been on the shelf a long time, but every so often you might get a really fresh one, and then it was heaven. i don’t think they were ever popular enough for the fresh to outlive the stale, so they were pretty short lived…….mid 70’S i think.

Gina's picture
Gina on September 18, 2010 - 00:27 Permalink

Thanks! The second best thing (first of course would be bringing it back ) next to knowing that I’m not the only person in the world who remembers the Danish bar is seeing a pic of it!

Lillian's picture
Lillian on October 13, 2010 - 14:33 Permalink

The wig wag bars, I remember those! I thought they were called wig wam bars. None the less, they were so good. Does anyone remembere the Lolas? A frozen treat, like a huge triangular shaped freezee. We could never finish them, at least I couldnt, anyway. They were huge!

Tara Patton's picture
Tara Patton on November 19, 2010 - 18:50 Permalink

You can but wigwags at British food shops. They are not called Wig Wags but Curly Wurlys they are made by Cadbury at are exactly the same.

aeroplanman's picture
aeroplanman on November 25, 2010 - 15:25 Permalink

willards made the cuban lunch…my dad favorite chocolate bar

gypsy jo's picture
gypsy jo on February 24, 2011 - 21:15 Permalink

4 Flavors chocolate bar .. chocolate, caramel, vanilla and bordeaux, but I cannot bring anything up about them in google (your post was the only thing it found more or less) NOTHING, even in ‘images’

gypsy jo's picture
gypsy jo on February 24, 2011 - 21:19 Permalink

after much google search…wigwag was sold also under the name of curly wurly (type that into google and then click ‘images’ I did find two images that actually portray it as the wigwag

Ann S's picture
Ann S on May 26, 2011 - 20:37 Permalink

Grew up in Saskatchewan. My first roommate (and still good friend) worked at Paulin Chambers (remember Paulins Puffs?), and they either made or distributed cuban lunch bars. This was in the mid to late 70’s. She used to be able to go into the “sample room” and take a whole case of these bars home if she wished. When she and I used to go back to my home for a weekend visit, she would take various samples with her to the delight of my 6 brothers and sisters there. The cuban lunch bars were always a big hit. That lovely (and thick) square of chocolate and all those peanuts in that dark red paper tray and covered with cellophane. Over the years, the square got thinner and the bar got smaller, but it was always great. It was a sadness when she moved on to another job! The bars were available in the stores for some time after that, but I haven’t seen them for many years.

Ann S's picture
Ann S on May 26, 2011 - 21:27 Permalink

Attention all of you Cuban Lunch fans — I just found this website today and replied to one of the comments that Cuban Lunch had originally been made by Paulin Chambers in Canada. You know, after I scrolled through all of the wonderful comments, I googled Paulin Chambers and cuban lunch, and I discovered a blog written by a gal who worked at the Paulin Chambers factory in Winnipeg in 1965. Do you know what else??? At the end of her blog, she included the RECIPE FOR CUBAN LUNCH BARS. I am copying it to this site, and will also copy a link to her blog. Her name is Joan.

Here is the recipe:

CUBAN LUNCH
Donna Peck-Harland, Kirkfield Park United, Winnipeg

2 cups peanut butter chips 1 ½ cups crushed ripple potato chips
2 cups butterscotch chips 1 ½ cups peanuts (salted or unsalted)
2 cups chocolate chips
Melt together the peanut butter, butterscotch and chocolate chips in top of double boiler. Add crushed potato chips and peanuts. Mix together with melted chips. Spoon into cupcake paper cups.
Variation: Add ½ cup coconut to melted chips and peanuts. Or, for a less sweet version, use 4 cups peanut butter chips instead of butterscotch and chocolate chips.

Her blog is at http://fromanywheretoanyone.bl…

Please post your results with the recipe!

Ann

seanna bussiere's picture
seanna bussiere on August 16, 2011 - 04:13 Permalink

they have released them again and they are called curly whirlys. they are the exact same but different name as they come out of england and that is what they are called there. as far as i know it the changed the name to sell them in canada back in the day

Anne's picture
Anne on October 26, 2011 - 18:12 Permalink

I cannot beleive that you recall Cadbury Liquid Four Flavours. I loved that chocolate bar and have tried for years and years to find it. the four flavours were caramel, vaniall, fudge, and a harder type caramel. What awesome memories!

Joanne's picture
Joanne on October 31, 2011 - 05:38 Permalink

I am so happy to see that other people miss the Four Flavours chocolate bar, I thought I was the only one. It would be great if they would bring it back. After reading these posts I am now craving some MoJo’s and Macintosh toffee. Also does anyone remember the name of frozen orange juice that used to be sold in the same shape as a popsicle?

Cinnamon's picture
Cinnamon on November 1, 2011 - 05:05 Permalink

Lolas. How could I have forgotten lolas? I also remember some variety stores sold a two inch long roll of ice cream wrapped in wax paper that would then be placed in cones. I suppose it was to save the owner from having to scoop out ice cream.

Cowboy Lutrell's picture
Cowboy Lutrell on January 28, 2012 - 16:44 Permalink

The following link leads to a picture of some (but not all) of Neilson’s chocolate bars. Good old Neilson 4 flavours is part of the picture, as well as Neilson Malted Milk, which used to be a favourite of mine. Here’s the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/2…

Glorlew's picture
Glorlew on February 22, 2012 - 09:38 Permalink

I am so glad you posted that recipe. Cuban Lunch was also one of my favorite bars. After looking at all these pictures, I remember so many good ones. Thanks again.

Daniel's picture
Daniel on February 29, 2012 - 02:34 Permalink

Id be interested to find out who owns the patent on the recipe for Cuban Lunch. that would be a killer investment.

Phoebe's picture
Phoebe on March 20, 2012 - 18:53 Permalink

OMG! I was wondering the name of that bar(Treasure Chest) that had 6-8 different flavours! they should truly bring that bar back! Why oh why would it ever be discontinued. It was a flavour explosion in my mouth. We should all write them and maybe they’ll put it back on the market.

Colin's picture
Colin on March 26, 2012 - 13:47 Permalink

Great site! Lots of memories here… Yes, I too wish for the Neilson’s Cinnamon Danish to be made once again, and I wouldn’t mind a Wig Wag either.
Here’s some “good” news regarding some earlier posts. SNOW WHITE CREAM SODA is now being made in Quebec and is available (at least in Eastern Canada) at “Dollarama” Its in a pink can and is the clear sweet creamy flavour from the past — but somewhat watered down, but unmistakably Snow White! Also, TRILLS gum is available there as well (the soapy gum flavour, it even states so on the gum package!) I also ran across some Beechnut, Black Jack and Clove chewing gum here in Newfoundland at a small corner store, all made under licence in Columbia, pricey though.. $1.50 a pack for 5 sticks.

Gloria's picture
Gloria on April 18, 2012 - 01:02 Permalink

I so remember the Treasure Chest. It was even better than the Four Flavors which was another favorite of mine. Also, does anyone remember the Fudge Bar? And what about the bar that was called “Take Five” I think. It was like the cherry bars now, but it was nuts in a cup form. So good!!

Terry Swann's picture
Terry Swann on May 7, 2012 - 04:53 Permalink

I can’t believe I actually found other people who also remember Neilsons Liquid 4 Flavours!!! One minute they were at the stores & the next they were gone. I have googled it for a long time, this is the first time I have seen others who remember & love it too. I can’t imagine why they didn’t remain on the shelves, there was nothing else out there like it.
I also have a carmel sauce recipe and I overcooked it once and it turned into Macintosh toffee!! I had to add water to it & re heat it so I could use it as a caramel sauce.

Shawn's picture
Shawn on May 28, 2012 - 02:38 Permalink

I miss 4 flavours… I don’t know why there is no info on the Internet…

Ron's picture
Ron on June 20, 2012 - 18:57 Permalink

Neilson’s Virginia chocolate bar.
That bar was and still is my alltime favorite. What a disappointment when it was discontinued. I am a diabetic and haven’t bought a chocolate bar is 7 years. If Virginia bars were available today I would be first in line to buy one!! Seriously !! Is there anything close to the yaste of that bar?

Toni's picture
Toni on June 21, 2012 - 04:25 Permalink

Four Flavours was my favourite too and people think I am crazy~~no one believes it existed~I would love one of those!! …or a whole case!

Joe's picture
Joe on February 26, 2013 - 18:25 Permalink

This site is sure bringing back a lot of sweet memories for me. The big bar of MacKintosh toffee was my earliest favourite. Then it was Neilson’s Chunks, three big chunks of delicious milk chocolate in a package. Later on I saw a new bar in the stores — Neilson’s Coffee Ripple. Way better than Coffee Crisp. I never really got into Neilson’s Treasures, but my sisters liked them. I think Nestle or Cadbury or whoever owns the Neilson candy bar line is really missing out on a great opportunity here. They would do very well for themselves if they would put the old Neilson line back into production and sell them online. They wouldn’t have all the costs associated with putting them into stores. We would pay for the shipping. I think most of us wouldn’t even mind paying a bit more just to get a taste of our childhood back. Just as an aside, we had a Neilson’s map in our schoolroom when I was a kid. Way down in the south Atlantic Ocean they had a picture of 3 Neilson bars, Jersy Milk, Malted Milk and Crispy Crunch. I always wanted to sail to the island of Crispy Crunch.

Joe's picture
Joe on February 27, 2013 - 16:07 Permalink

I miss the Buried Treasure too. Basically it’s just orange sherbet with vanilla ice cream. But it was such a popular treat, I can’t understand why they would ever stop making it.

Joe's picture
Joe on February 27, 2013 - 21:02 Permalink

I’ve been trying to email Cadbury with my idea to reintroduce the old Neilson Bars (and a couple of Cadbury ones) but have apparently not found a reliable address. I think if they reintroduced these bars on a smaller scale and only sold them online it would be more cost effective for them and we could still get the candy we’ve been craving. I wouldn’t hold my breath but I figure it’s worth a shot. Anybody know where I would send this email?

June S's picture
June S on April 11, 2013 - 13:10 Permalink

The candy bar you remember is a Danish and it was made by Neilson. My taste buds remember the creamy cinnamon taste well .. along with so many other sweet treats everyone else has mentioned.

Linda's picture
Linda on October 27, 2014 - 14:21 Permalink

I grew up in the Town of Dundas Ontario. Around 1968 , there was a store beside the Dundas Public Library (I think it was called "Glessings") and my friends & I used to buy these gorgeous candy bars (NOT chocolate) called "Butterbars". We loved those & "BB bats" , and both were butterscotch flavour but the "Butterbar" was like a huge bar of something that melted slow (you had to lick it forever) and tasted almost like a Werther's. Anybody know what I'm talkin' about?

David Rain's picture
David Rain on December 11, 2015 - 16:42 Permalink

I also grew up in Dundas. Went to Glessings for Mojos.

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