After seven decades of sweet, salty, and sour goodness, we have info on which candy came when. This segment will address candy from the Gen-Z (1995-2015), iGeneration (2015-to present) (also known as the Post-Millennial, Founder, Plural, and Homeland), and Generation Alpha (2015-present) generations, which saw the creation of some pretty iconic candy.

1998 – Baby Bottle Pops. These bad boys were popular in the early 2000s. Licking the lollipop, flipping it around, and shaking it like crazy until it was coated in sweet sugar was incredible to me as a child (as still is today, to be honest). And the song was just too catchy. Baby Bottle Pop, Baby Bottle Pop… ♪♫

1999 – Jolly Rancher Lollipops. Advertised as offering "even longer-lasting flavor than Jolly Rancher Hard Candy," these lollipops give you a bigger and better way to enjoy your favorite hard candy. They come in the same flavors as the original small pieces: apple, watermelon, cherry, and pink lemonade.

2001 – Harry Potter Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. In 2001, the first Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (or Philosopher's Stone, depending where in the world you're located) hit theaters and people everywhere went crazy. In response to the growing phenomenon that was (and still is) the Harry Potter fandom, Jelly Belly released Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, modeled after one of the most popular candies in the magic world. Now even muggles could enjoy snacking on Rotten Egg, Earthworm, and Buttered Popcorn flavored jelly beans.

2002 – Dulce de Leche Caramel M&M's. In 2002, Mars responded to the growing Hispanic market in the US by releasing a new flavor of M&M's: Dulce de Leche. Their time is stores was fairly short, but maybe one day these sweet candies will make their return.

2003 – Hershey's Kisses Special Dark. While they were originally released in 2003 as a limited edition product, these babies were so popular that they remain on shelves today. Our guess is it's because of the dreamy taste of Hershey's sweet dark chocolate (and rumors that dark chocolate is good for you).

2004 – Wonder Ball: SpongeBob Edition. Wonder Ball was originally released in the 1990s before leaving shelves for a few years. In 2004 it was introduced again, this time SpongeBob SquarePants-themed and filled with little candies instead of a plastic toy.

2006 – Reese's Crispy Crunchy Bar. This candy takes all the best elements of candy bars and combines them into one perfect bar: crispy, crunchy, chocolatey, and peanut buttery. It has a flaky peanut butter core, covered by a layer of peanut butter, topped with chopped peanuts and a milk chocolate coating.

2007 – Reese's Whipps. Reese's Whipps were introduced to the candy market as a healthier alternative to the traditional candy bar (if such a thing exists). Filled with a fluffy peanut butter-flavored nougat and a layer of peanut butter candy, this bar is "lighter than air" and has 40% less fat than regular chocolate candy.

2009 – Hershey's Thingamijig. Released in 2009 as a limited edition sister bar to Hershey's Whatchamacallit, Thingamajig bars were made of cocoa-flavored rice crisps topped with a strip of peanut butter and then covered in a layer of Hershey's chocolate.

2010 – Take 5. In 2010 Hershey's was telling its fans to relax, take a break, and eat some chocolate. With layers of sweet, salty, and chocolatey goodness, this candy bar contains peanuts, so it's healthy, right?

2011 – Dubble Bubble Painterz Mouth Coloring Bubble Gum. Introduced to the candy market for Halloween in 2011, this Dubble Bubble gum came in five different flavors and colors and turned your mouth into the color of the gum you were chewing.

2012 – Nestlé Crunch Girl Scout Cookie Candy Bars. Released in 2012, these candy bars caused Girl Scout Cookie lovers (read: everyone) everywhere to rejoice. For the first time ever, you could enjoy the magical deliciousness of your favorite cookies all year long. The chocolate wafer bars come in three flavors, Peanut Butter Creme, Caramel & Coconut, and Thin Mints, and are modeled after the three most popular Girl Scout Cookies.

2015 – Hershey's Candy Corn Bars. Although available in bite-size portions in years past, 2015 was the first year this candy hybrid was sold in full-size bars. The white chocolate bar is speckled with orange and yellow candy bits, giving the appearance and taste of everyone's favorite Halloween candy: candy corn.

So, there you have it. Pick your favorite from any and every generation and enjoy!

 

Excerpted and adapted from Shana Lynch in Redbook Magazine.