Foods define our holidays—they’re the flavors we savor each time another season swings by, they’re the centerpieces of celebrations, around which all of our happy memories orbit. For me, October has always been marked with one distinctively sweet taste—that of candy corn. Since I was a child, my mother would set out a bowl of it in our kitchen the first day of the spooky month—and I would sneak a handful in my elementary school uniform skirt pocket, to be enjoyed during Fine Arts (whatever that was). Even now, at twenty-three-years-old, I recently walked into my childhood home, exhausted from a day of traveling, only to find my mother had set out a bowl of candy corn, right on the countertop.    
I’m not a kid anymore, and am more health-conscious than ever. So, I’m sad to say, that even though my mother has kept this Halloween tradition alive, I haven’t enjoyed this treat in years, thinking to myself, those things are definitely filled with a bunch of weird chemicals to make those signature orange and yellow colors. That’s why, when The Newsette offices were sent YumEarth’s organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, and dairy-free candy corn, I literally squealed in delight—something I also haven’t done in years. Then, I promptly ate an entire family-sized bag myself. And, even though it’s made of much better stuff than the candy I enjoyed as a kid, I can attest to the fact that YumEarth’s products taste exactly like their sketchily-made counterparts.  
It’s clear I love the triangular, tri-colored candy, but I also know it’s actually a contentious subject (there’s even a debate about it.) Below, find some of Newsette HQ’s arguments for or against candy corn. And shop all of YumEarth’s candy here, just in time for Halloween. 

Izzy, Community Manager at The Newsette says…

“As soon as I hear someone say candy corn, I immediately think of my childhood. I’m not someone who likes candy, but there’s something about biting into candy corn that tastes nostalgic; it tastes like picking out your Halloween costume, carving pumpkins and jumping into a fluffy pile of leaves. No matter how old I’ve gotten, to me, that sweet, chewy kernel tastes like Fall, and always will.”

Danny, Founder/CEO of The Newsette says…

“I used to LOVE candy corn, and embarrassingly would eat it by color (white first, orange second, yellow last) making myself believe they all tasted differently—but as I’ve gotten older my taste buds have adjusted to enjoy more sour treats like these addictive Organic Sour Twists. There’s no better partner in crime during a late-night Netflix session.”

Molly, Digital Editor of The Newsette says…

“I have always loved candy corn but even more so the older I’ve gotten. I grew up eating it during Halloween and would always sneak some out of the candy jar in our kitchen. I find myself wanting it now that I’m older because it reminds me of my childhood and my mom giving it to my siblings and me. It tastes sweet and carefree like being a child at Halloween.”