Kerr’s Original “Molasses Kisses” have been a part of Halloween in Canada for 80 years.
With their distinctive orange and yellow waxy wrappers, embellished with witches, owls and jack-o-lanterns, Kerr’s Original Halloween Kisses are uniquely Canadian.
But Canadians have seemingly always fallen into two camps; we either love these little sticky morsels, or we hate them.
Ryan Martic, President of Kerr’s Candy, says she is personally a big fan of these Halloween treats, calling them “…the creamy, delicious, sweet, ambrosia of fall.”
With only a few simple ingredients, including blackstrap molasses, brown sugar and vanilla, the Molasses Kiss is far from a culinary masterpiece.
So what makes them so special?
Martic says it all comes down to nostalgia.
“They’re largely a family tradition, with older generations introducing them to younger generations,” Martic says, adding that tricker-treaters may not be getting the kisses in their bags because the main sales driver is actually personal consumption.
Martic says during October, Kerr’s is inundated with questions about where to find them, from Canadian expats to Canadian military families stationed elsewhere in the world.
In fact, they’re in such high demand that Kerr’s has made them available to order online all year round and has even introduced a Molasses Kisses Finder on their website for the Halloween season.
Kerr’s has been making candy in Ontario since 1895, beginning with those soft, square caramels Canadians have also come to know well during Halloween and the holiday season.
Martic says that while the Molasses Kisses are always among the top sellers at Halloween, they aren’t the best seller — that honour goes to their lollipops.
While Canadians will always likely be polarized on their feelings for these gooey treats, it looks like they will be a part of Halloween in this country for some time to come.