I’ve been eating Necco Wafers since I was but one small child (in a land of a thousand). My Dad seemed to always have a roll of them in the truck / in the garage / under his “CAT” hat. I’m pretty sure that my parents pulverized Necco’s and put them in my bottle. They’ve been around me for a good 30 years, and even now I’m eating a pack that Dad got me for Christmas, though I’m eating only the pink, white, yellow and maybe green ones, leaving the rest for Emily. She says “thanks”. Necco Wafers. Old timey indeed.

It just came to my attention that Necco Wafers is using a more natural recipe and slightly refined flavoring for a new generation. Says an author in The Atlantic Magazine:

Necco wafers, a roll of which I try always to have in my jacket pocket, are just now changing from artificial flavors and neon colors to toned-down natural flavors and lovely, muted colors.

I pay attention to the color of Necco wafers the way others do M&M’s, which don’t even change flavor by color. Necco flavors are proudly peculiar. “It’s a very odd combination, fruit and spice,” Jeff Green, who has been in charge of production and innovation at Necco for more than 25 years, told me. His favorite is clove: “Who makes clove?”