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

R.Johnson's picture
R.Johnson on May 3, 2004 - 04:16 Permalink

If anyone out there knows where you can buy Cuban Lunch bars please post the name where they may be purchased, thank you..

SAFASTRO's picture
SAFASTRO on May 13, 2004 - 03:09 Permalink

I found a new bar called “CURLYWURLY” by Cadbury!!!!!
It is the same as a “WIGWAG”bar!!!!!!!
The shape is the same ….. just a little narrower and longer…..but same pattern!!!!! MMMMMMM….I’m eating one right now. I found it at “The Real Canadian Superstore” here in Calgary! If you’ve been craving that WIGWAG taste…..but couldn’t seem to find the bar…..this is as close as it gets!!!!!
MMMMMMMMM…..sorry but it tastes really good. (memories)

Andy's picture
Andy on May 31, 2004 - 19:35 Permalink

Pam The bar six was a work of art.
So much gentler than a Kit Kat….sigh

The only detrimental memory was that
the paper wrapper was an odd colour.

cindy's picture
cindy on June 3, 2004 - 00:20 Permalink

HELLO!! I’m out in left field…duh! Doesn’t ANYONE …..remember “THE TREASURE BAR”? Lowney’s …I believe„, 6 BIG flavors. Marachino cherry..turkish delite…dark chocolate …vanilla cream..coffee cream and (my favorite) orange cream…??? It would be nice to express the nostalgia ..if I could ..just remember.siogned cindstr.

cindy's picture
cindy on June 3, 2004 - 00:21 Permalink

HELLO!! I’m out in left field…duh! Doesn’t ANYONE …..remember “THE TREASURE BAR”? Lowney’s …I believe„, 6 BIG flavors. Marachino cherry..turkish delite…dark chocolate …vanilla cream..coffee cream and (my favorite) orange cream…??? It would be nice to express the nostalgia ..if I could ..just remember.signed cindstr.

nichole's picture
nichole on June 16, 2004 - 21:08 Permalink

Does anyone remember the marathon bar -chocolate covered braided caramel strip- or the “star” bar

Diane's picture
Diane on July 21, 2004 - 03:02 Permalink

DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THE TRI COLORED TAFFY RIBBONS OF THE EARLY 70’S? THEY WERE BROWN(CHOCOLATE) WHITE(VANILLA) AND PINK(STRAWBERRY) AND THEY WERE WRAPPED IN WAX PAPER BUT NOT SEALED UP AT THE ENDS.

ktelqueen's picture
ktelqueen on July 29, 2004 - 05:38 Permalink

Ok,totally sounds familiar,like Neopolitan…I do remember this but my search turned up “Kookoo Taffy” for its name which doesn’t really seem familiar itself but thanks for the candy flashback..

Lonnie's picture
Lonnie on August 2, 2004 - 04:52 Permalink

DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THE TRI COLORED TAFFY RIBBONS OF THE EARLY 70’S? THEY WERE BROWN(CHOCOLATE) WHITE(VANILLA) AND PINK(STRAWBERRY) AND THEY WERE WRAPPED IN WAX PAPER BUT NOT SEALED UP AT THE ENDS.”

Those were called Koo-Koo bars. I thought I was the only one who remembered those!

swingyourdonuts's picture
swingyourdonuts on August 22, 2004 - 23:23 Permalink

The tri colored taffy was sold a a KOOKOO BAR here in the Maritimes. On the subject of Cadburys Danish bar, my husbnd almost had me convinced that I had imagined the whole Danish thing ! Thank you so much for reinstating my sanity !
And if anyone else thinks they are losing their minds , I also remember the treasure bar, rum and butter bar and bar six. Does anyone remember the Graham Sandwich ? It was 2 squares packaged in what I remember being a black wrapper with red writing . And what about the Caravan bar or the Pal-O-Mine ?

DerekMac's picture
DerekMac on August 23, 2004 - 03:39 Permalink

Growing up in a PEI general store, I remember all of those. The Pal-O-Mine, of course, was a Maritime product, from Ganong’s (Canada’s oldest candy company) in St. Stephen NB, and claims to be the first North American chocolate bar, and the first bar to be wrapped in a new invention, cellophane.

The “Pal-o-Mine” Story, from ganong.com:

In 1920, an old candy maker was asked to produce a chocolate bar to take along on fishing trips.

The result was a centre of yellow fudge and coconut covered with Ganong’s Best chocolate and peanuts.

The company’s intention was to keep the bar in production long enough to pay for the development. In fact, they didn’t even bother to go to the expense of printing a wrap for it; the new see-through wrap, cellophane, that had arrived from France would be fine.

Little did they realize the bar’s success…

The company believed the name contributed to its success…

It implied loyalty, faithfulness. Almost 83 years later, Pal-o-mine is still a favorite!

John's picture
John on September 26, 2004 - 06:27 Permalink

I used to like Four Flavour bars too. Shauna on 15 Dec 03 got the breakdown correct. The “bordeaux” flavour, I think, is just brown sugar. There used to be a “Bordeaux Pattie”, a circular thing like the mint flavoured one you can still get.

Anybody remember a chocolate confection that had five pieces in it, the central one was a cherry (like what is now called “Cerise”), two were chocolate with peanut chunks and the other two escape me completely (they’d both be the same thing). This is in Southern Ontario, 1960s and maybe 1970s.

Lori's picture
Lori on September 30, 2004 - 07:40 Permalink

I have been hunting high and low for Neilson’s Pep Chew. Does anyone know where I can get them?

deb's picture
deb on October 7, 2004 - 03:13 Permalink

I would really like to know WHO made Cuban Lunch Bars!!! Does anyone know? Please e-mail me the answer.
Thanks
Deb

Hazel's picture
Hazel on October 13, 2004 - 18:47 Permalink

I like to know if they still make Pep Chew, or where I could find some…I’m not sure if the brand name was Neilson’s.
Please email me if you find this bar!!!

Paul's picture
Paul on October 31, 2004 - 05:00 Permalink

My Girlfriend and I would love to know if anyone, can tell me where I can get, a Four Flavours Chocolate Bar, these days?

Paul's picture
Paul on October 31, 2004 - 05:06 Permalink

Hey, does anyone remember, the chocolate bar, called Bar Six?……And then there was a creation… Exactly like a cherry blossom, except it had caramel inside, instead of the cherry center. does anyone remember this? And MALT BALLS

Jessika's picture
Jessika on October 31, 2004 - 08:10 Permalink

THANK YOU! I’ve been trying to remember the name of the Treasure Chest bars for years. I remembered “Treasure” and that was it — I just accidentally came across this site when I searched under “treasure bar +chocolate.” Of course, not that finding the name helps me find out if anyone makes it, but I’m guessing by the reminiscing posts that it’s not being made anymore. *sniff* It was my favourite bar. Does anyone know if it was ever available in the U.S.? (none of my American friends has ever heard of it)

debbie whitehouse's picture
debbie whitehouse on November 2, 2004 - 18:19 Permalink

i remembered we had neilson “treasure”chocolate bar that contained 5or 6 flavors. it was one of our favorite bar in the 70s and 80s. it had vanilla chocolate cherry caramel and i think butterscotch in each pocket
please let me know and i want the photo of that bar…

CandyDandy's picture
CandyDandy on November 3, 2004 - 03:33 Permalink

Pal-o-mine’s are still sold in New Brunswick. :)
Koo Koo Bars were my absolute favorite! 10 cents each when i was a kid (1978) I do remember those horrible fruit flavoured hostess chips they really were a one time buy for most of the kids i hung with (remember the old fashion foil chip bags??? and if you one a free bag they printed it on the inside and you had to tear it open ???) I also remember these long strips of wax paper with dried dots of hard frosting all different colours you could peel off and eat…but sometimes you ended up eating a little of the paper too.
oh yeah remember thrills gum??? mauve/purple & chiclet-like…tasted like soap? hah
todd :)

Lloyd John Gagne's picture
Lloyd John Gagne on January 16, 2005 - 21:21 Permalink

Note to Debbie Whitehouse — the treasure”chocolate bar” she refers to was calley Jersey Milk Treasures and was sold by Neilson in Canada, as I recall. BTW, does anyone recall a small dark chocolate bar (verry sweet)? I think it was called, appropriately enough Fudge — and was also sold by Neilson.

Eileen's picture
Eileen on January 30, 2005 - 13:35 Permalink

I grew up in Toronto and my boyfriend grew up in Cape Breton. He insists that there was a chocolate candy called “honeymooners”. If anyone remembers these, can they please tell me if there is another name for them.

Rob's picture
Rob on February 14, 2005 - 20:20 Permalink

I’m trying to remember the name of a chocolate bar that was my favourite but only lasted a couple of years in the mid 70s. It was NOT coffee crisp, but had a coffee filling, covered in chocolate and had two mountain-like (rounded) fingers stuck together. I’m sure this will stump everyone, but except for the name, I remember it well — it cam in a brown wrapper with yellow lettering, I think.

chad's picture
chad on February 22, 2005 - 02:43 Permalink

just reading some of the posts here, as i was looking for what happened to the wig-wag bar. all i remember is all the chocolate exploding off of it into your lap as soon as you took a bite. anyway, i think it was originally made by lowney, just like cherry blossom (anyone remember the crazy animated commercial for cherry blossom?).

Wendy Woods's picture
Wendy Woods on February 23, 2005 - 20:30 Permalink

Thank you” to the ones who remember the mint mojos and 4 flavour candy bars. It seems these items have fallen off the face of the earth. No one sells them or even wants to admit they existed. I was doubting my memory for a while. Thanks for writing about your memories. I have fond memories myself of these childhood delights from long ago.

kirk gardner's picture
kirk gardner on March 5, 2005 - 04:00 Permalink

Does anyone remember the “Virginia” chocolate bar? The closest I could compare it to is Mr. Goodbar. Might have been made by Nielsen’s.

Vicki's picture
Vicki on March 5, 2005 - 14:29 Permalink

In Windsor ON there’s a store called the Celtic Connection that has MOJO’s. They are a bit larger than the ones that I remember. I remeber the 4 flavour having a caramel,vanilla,fudge and strawberry pink filling. I have also heard that about the difference between referring to a candy and/or chocolate bar is how much cocoa is in the bar. The neo-taffy is sold still and is McGraws Country Store Taffy.I have done research on where to get some of these as I stock in my shop! Never heard of the Treasure Bar though and I have lived in both Canada and the States,not the right region probably.

Lynn Holloway's picture
Lynn Holloway on March 21, 2005 - 04:34 Permalink

I wanted to comment about the Molly-O chocolate bar. I was born in 1955, so I guess it was the early 60’s when my Dad would bring home one of these on a Friday night. We would cut it up into slices and it was a big weekend treat for our family of four! I wish they still made these or that someone would come up with something like them again.

I was also happy to be reminded about the Neilson Treasure Chest bar from reading other’s comments on this site. I have this strange thing that happens to me that’s connected. I live in Parksville, BC on Vancouver Island. To get to our biggest shopping area, Nanaimo, we have to drive through an area called Nanoose Bay. Whenever I’m coming home from Nanaimo and beginning to pass through Nanoose, there’s a Petro-Can station on my right. As I come down the hill towards it, all of a sudden, buying a Neilson’s Treasure Chest bar comes into my head. I don’t know when they stopped making those, but I’ve only lived here about 10 yrs and I’m sure they stopped making them before that. I’m wondering if it’s a childhood memory about coming over to the Island. It’s the weirdest thing though, and it happens every time I pass that service station.

Linda's picture
Linda on May 1, 2005 - 01:32 Permalink

Regarding the chocolate bar “4 Flavors” by Neilson, the flavors included vanilla, bordeaux, chocolate and caramel. The last time I saw one was about 7 years ago. “Virginia” was made by Neilson and was milk chocolate with peanuts. The “Fudge” bar was by Neilson and can still be found in the UK by Cadbury. The “Graham Sandwich” and “Caravan” bar were both made by Lowney and both came in a white wrapper with blue lettering. I would love to see “Bar Six” and “Snack Bar” make a comeback. “Danish” too.

Moe's picture
Moe on May 3, 2005 - 21:31 Permalink

I just stumbled on this website today. It sure brought back the memories for me! Like others, I was a big fan of Wig Wags, Bar Six, and Liquid Four Flavours. I don’t know many people who really like Big Turk, yet it’s still being made. It must be popular somewhere.

Does anyone remember Chew Chew (not Koo Koo)? It was approx. the same size as a chocolate bar, and it was chewy like taffy. I remember that it came in Orange flavour, as I have vivid memories of pulling one of my baby teeth out of a piece of it! There were also Triclets, which were assorted fruit flavoured, rectangular shaped hard candies, with a soft/liquid centre. They were fabulous.

We very rarely had soft drinks in the house back in the 60’s. If we did it was probably to be used as mix for an adult party. Do you remember “Wink”? It was a citrus drink, much like Fresca. I remember my parents serving Gin & Wink to guests.

Anne's picture
Anne on May 13, 2005 - 18:50 Permalink

I was at my usual “wings” night out with friends, when suddenly I remembered the Wigwag chocolate bar. I sang the song, did the actions, and my friends thought I was nuts!!! Luckily, another guy that was the same age as me remembered them too. Well, the song wouldn’t leave my head, and the Wigwag bar (‘three hands high’) was the topic of conversation all night. I knew I had to check the internet to see if I could find any kind of proof that this chocolate bar ever existed, and so was very happy to find this sight. Does anyone know where I can either purchase a wigwag bar in southern Ontario, or obtain a picture of one?

Collin's picture
Collin on May 22, 2005 - 18:45 Permalink

Likewise, I am interested in 70s nostaglia. I too remember the Wig Wag. If memory serves me correctly it was made by MackIntosh toffee. The package was white with orange (wig) and pink (wag) lettering (maybe vice versa). There was also those lotto bars where you could win money, and the $1,000,000 bar. Bar Six came in an orange package with a white circle in the middle with Bar Six.

I have been married for 5 years, and have this argument with my wife that Christies’s Favorites Cookies used to exist! Each bag contained a row of Oreo’s, Pirate Peanut Butter, Fudgee-Os, Chips Ahoy, and Arrow Root. Can anyone confirm this?

Carol's picture
Carol on June 12, 2005 - 23:57 Permalink

I stumbled across this site while looking for Wig Wag and Koo Koo bars and I gotta say…I am so glad I’m not nuts! lol I also wondered about the Danish and thought I was dreaming it up in my imagination, but am glad to know they do exist. They were so good! But I thought they had a white coating with pink frosting on top. Doesn’t matter, they existed and I’m not crazy so I’m glad! lol
I miss those bars and candy from my childhood. I live in Toronto but I’m from NFLD, and as kids we used to live off of that stuff! It brings back so many fond memories…and yeah I remember having to eat Wig Wag outside because the chocolate would flake off. I remember MoJo’s too. And Sugar Daddy Toffee pops. I remember all of the candies and chocolate bars mentioned here. And yes, Christie did have a Favorite Cookies collection Collin. My Mom used to buy it because us kids would fight over what kind of cookie we wanted. …Sigh…gone are those wonderful days…thank God for memories! Thanks, everyone, for sharing yours.

Carol's picture
Carol on June 12, 2005 - 23:59 Permalink

Hey does anyone remember Black Bart gum? We used to black out our teeth with it! lol Ahhh…what fun!

yossbrit's picture
yossbrit on June 18, 2005 - 11:40 Permalink

To all of you who are reminiscing about Wigwag(Curly Wurly), Mojo, Giant Taffy, please visit Ye Olde Sweet Shoppe, 732 12th St., New Westminster, BC, 604 515 8839 or email yossbrit@yahoo.ca
This store sells old time candy from your childhood era, domestic or imports.
Pep Chew is no longer made, so is Cuban Lunch, as well as Treasure Chest. Many small companies are taken over/bought by Cadbury, Pepsi, Coca Cola, Nestle, etc. Then their popular products are discontinued to clear the market for the Big companies own main lines. Sighhhh….

andypandy's picture
andypandy on June 21, 2005 - 02:16 Permalink

Does anyone remember these bars;

Wildfire….my mom used to get that every night when she worked at the Drive In Movies.

Also Cinnabar…a crispy bar only coated in white and a drizzle of cinnamon or butterscorch on top.

Also while I am thinking the Caramac bar…they still make that in the UK.

Cindy's picture
Cindy on June 26, 2005 - 00:29 Permalink

omg !!!!
There have been a couple of us talking about MoJo’s at work over the past year & I have been checking to see where, if anywhere, you could get these things anymore … there are so many other bars mentioned here that I think I am in heaven with all the good memories !!!! Oh the sweets we had when we were younger were TRUE SWEETS ….. not the crap you get today, althout I got to admit, I like kit kat !!! ha ha ha
Glad I stumbled on this site !

Maddy's picture
Maddy on July 11, 2005 - 07:37 Permalink

HELP!
Did I imagine it??? or……
Does anyone remember the Nielsen’s “Canadiana” bar?
I remember buying it only once, in Mississauga at the Woodchester Drug Mart with about 10 cents worth of my 25 cent allowance.(circa 1976)
Instead of being chocolate, I think I remember it as being maple flavoured…and I think it was also maple coloured…an odd light brown….

I also remember another chocolate bar (circa 1976 or so) that came in a stop-light green wrapper, and had 2 crunchy, flaky, transparent pieces of peppermint candy rectangles that were covered in chocolate…does anyone remember that one???? can’t remember the name and haven’t seen in since ….
Thanks!

bugs's picture
bugs on July 23, 2005 - 01:18 Permalink

What a trip stumbling across this site! Playbox cookies, Bar Six, Liquid 4 Flavours.. I ‘member ‘em all! One oddity to add Barrat’s We called it kid-cocaine. Contained white crystalized/powdered sugar that was sucked through a black licorice “straw”. No wonder I only have about three of my own teeth left in my head.

Joanne's picture
Joanne on August 5, 2005 - 05:12 Permalink

I thought I was the only one who remembered these favorite snacks! Bar Six and Virginia were two of my favorites. Along with Neilson chunks. You could get them in plain, peanut and later caramel.mmmm Does anybody remember Ketchup waffle chips?

Donna's picture
Donna on August 9, 2005 - 01:02 Permalink

My brother (born 1955) has been searching unsuccessfully for a Molly-O Bar.

His 50th birthday is coming up, and I would love to be able to find some of these for him.

Does anyone know if this is available anywhere?

Thanks.

James Williams's picture
James Williams on August 18, 2005 - 20:07 Permalink

Cuban Lunch. I remember sitting under the trees in Bowness Park in Calgary, Alberta in the late 60s and early 70s and enjoying a Cuban Lunch bar. I haven’t found one since about 1975. Something today brought them to mind and I googled them and found this site. I see I am not alone and there are others who also remember them. I googled a bit more and ….Voila… I know nothing about this company so this info is provided purely as is. If someone else wants to track them down and see if this is really the Cuban Lunch we all remember and report back…

http://www.trecartinwholesale….

100174 BAR CUBAN LUNCH 36’S BAR BX36

Good luck.

HR's picture
HR on August 25, 2005 - 05:01 Permalink

I have a few things to comment on:
I remember wink; you could buy it in Nova Scotia up until the early 1990’s. I think they only brought it back for a few years at the time.
However, does anyone remember a pop called “Razcal”? It was a silver can with a picture of a pink rabbit in a field on the front, and it was sold in NS Co-ops in the early 90’s as well. It was sweet and tasted like raspberries.
Kookoo bars were excellent. We bought them in Sydney, NS in the early 80’s, along with treasure bars. A similar bar is still sold in the US and import stores, but I can’t think of the name. It comes in a yellow package with a picture of the bar on the front.
IMPORTANT QUESTION—Does anyone remember green cookies that would have been sold in Cape Breton in the early to mid 80’s? They were a sugar cookie, I can’t remember if they were minty or not. They were green on top, sugar cookie shade on bottom. The green may have been a light green glaze, or a dye.
I also miss O’Ryan’s sour cream and onion ripple chips with the leprechauns on the bag, the pizza chips shaped like scoops, and the 80’s box of pot of gold chocolates that had lemon flavoured ones in it. Mmmmmm…
I’m hungry.

Anniemae's picture
Anniemae on September 12, 2005 - 00:45 Permalink

Yes, I remember the black bart gum, I use to love it as a kid and I probably still would. Does anybody know if it’s still being made?

sparkle's picture
sparkle on September 21, 2005 - 22:42 Permalink

There are recipes on the internet tomake cuban lunch bars at home. I think they use a combination of chocolate and butterscotch chips with peanuts. I too, miss the caravan, bar six, cuban lunch, snack bar and —anyone else remember — pie face bars? I’d love to have a recipe to make the caravan bar .

Jeannine's picture
Jeannine on October 6, 2005 - 19:03 Permalink

Thank goodness I was able to read these posts. We’ve been going crazy here trying to confirm the existence and the name of a candy bar. All we could come up with was Four Flavors but we weren’t sure if that was it or not. Most of us could remember the bar, some of us are ”too young”. Now we know we aren’t making stuff up, there really was a Four Flavors bar !

Liza's picture
Liza on October 10, 2005 - 03:59 Permalink

LOVE Pep Chews !
everywhere I have worked somebody always brings up Pep Chews and then we start a memory lane conversation.
if so many people loved Pep Chews why did they discontinue them?
one of the big candy companies should start making them again, does anybody know of a recipie?
just like the movies of today, everything old is new again, might become a big seller.

Elise's picture
Elise on October 10, 2005 - 06:24 Permalink

I am so glad that someone remembers Bar Six. My hubby and kids think I made this bar up. Does anyone remember the bar with the shiny blue wrapper called IceBreaker? It is a dark chocolate bar with a thin blue krisps.

deadsey's picture
deadsey on October 16, 2005 - 23:47 Permalink

I remember the animated Cherry Blossom commercial from the 70’s. Although I did not really dig the cherry thing I did dig the ad that ran during the half hour befor Hockey Night in Canada. I’m not sure if these were the lyrics but I think they are pretty close.

Cherry…Cherry Blossom. With it’s thick chocolate on the outside….ummm…ummm… and when you get to the center it’s a very special center it’a cherry blossom peanut coated cholate flavored treat you know as cherry cherry blossom.

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