Even licorice gets a day. Today is National Licorice Day, so we decided to talk to Nichole Walleen, 35-year-old assistant brand manager for the American Licorice Co., about this "holiday."
We also asked you to write your most creative Red Vines verse to the tune of "Red Red Wine." We've included a couple responses below. Look online at www.azstarnet.com for more.
The American Licorice Co. is most famous for its Red Vines candies. The company was founded in 1914 in Chicago and moved to San Francisco in the '20s. The candies actually are made in Union City, Calif.
We recently chatted by phone with Walleen about Red Vines and life.
What should people do to commemorate National Licorice Day?
"They should only eat Red Vines for the entire day.
People are also reading…
"They also can go to redvines.com where we're launching a new contest, or they can enter the drawing contest."
Why are Red Vines so successful?
"Honestly, because they sell themselves. We don't do too much advertising. I think it's the history and nostalgia that makes them so successful. They're just a really good, timeless candy."
Are there any medicinal properties to licorice?
"Red Vines only has a teeny bit of licorice (in it). Real licorice is always black. Licorice does help with peptic ulcers, coughs, sore throats."
Why vines?
"You've got that thin little vine look. They've always been called a vine or a twist."
Is it true that Tarzan is a fan of Red Vines?
"That I don't know, but I do know that Alice Cooper is a huge fan."
What's the nutritional value of a Red Vine?
"There's no preservatives, and they're fat free; they're guilt-free. The calories are about 35 per vine, but they do go down a lot faster than a candy bar. You forget you've eaten a whole tray."
I've seen people using Red Vines as straws. What other uses are there for Red Vines?
"We've made a product about that. It's called Super Strings. It's a chewable, peel-able straw."
Why are they hollow?
"We make the licorice hollow because it keeps it fresher. And if we didn't make it hollow, it would be flat. The thicker the licorice is, the more flavor you get. It's an experience-driven candy."
Why are Red Vines such a movie food?
"I think it's because you're sitting there and you're eating and it's mess free. It's simple, it's easy, it's light."
We're having a contest where readers write in their best verse about Red Vines to the tune of "Red Red Wine." What do you think about that?
"It think that it's great. We've received lots of consumer letters about their love of the candy."
If it's really good, would you be interested in using it as a commercial?
"Definitely. I think that would be something I could pitch to the powers that be."
Red Vines facts
• Each Red Vine twist is 8 inches long. The longest Red Vine brand candy ever made measured 40 feet long, taller than King Kong.
• Much like cookies, ingredients in Red Vines twists are mixed to form a licorice dough and then baked. It takes three days to make a Red Vines twist, and then each Red Vine needs at least 12 hours to cool.
• Red Vines brand is the No. 1 non-chocolate confection in the West. Utah consumes the most Red Vines candy per capita.
• American Licorice first ventured into Hollywood films when it created a licorice shoe for Charlie Chaplin to chew on in the movie "The Gold Rush" in 1925.
• Billboard magazine debuted its "Hot 100" chart in 1958 — the same year, American Licorice introduced its movie-concession-style box tray. Today, Red Vines candy comes in trays, jars, hanging bags, lay-down bags and snack-size bags.
• Have a cough this season? Try natural licorice. . . . Licorice root has been used since the third century B.C. to help soothe coughs.
Source: American Licorice Co.
