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Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews Returns to Its Roots

A sweet day for the Jewish company

by
Adam Chandler
August 21, 2012
(Phoodie)
(Phoodie)

Over at The Awl, Dave Bry reports on Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews, which after redesigning its (regionally) iconic wrapper to, mayhaps, de-emphasize its Goldenbergishness nature, is now bringing the old label back. Or as Bry puts it:

Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews are my all-time no. 1 ranked favorite candy bar in the world. I was very disappointed in 2004, when they changed the company changed its wrapper design, and, as today’s Times puts it, “removed the historically prominent ‘Goldenberg’s,’ which was thought to sound too homespun for a national player.” More so because, Yeah right! Too “homespun.” That was the most egregious example of self-loathing assimilation we’d seen since Ralph Lipshitz changed his last name to “Lauren.” So I’m happy they’ve come to their senses.

For more on the history of Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews, check out Katharine Weber’s impressive report for Tablet on the genesis of Jewish candy dynasties. The history alone will give you a cavity.

Adam Chandler was previously a staff writer at Tablet. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Slate, Esquire, New York, and elsewhere. He tweets @allmychandler.