Necco Wafers are on the way back

It’s one of the oldest candy brands in the world, and they’ve been gone for a few years — but Necco Wafers is on its way back to shelves.

The Spangler Candy Company announced that the flavored disks were heading back to store shelves starting in June. 

Spangler says the original recipe from 1847 by the New England Confectionary Company has remained essentially unchanged over the years.

“The eight all-time favorite flavors and colors are returning including lemon (yellow), lime (green), orange (orange), clove (light purple), cinnamon (white), wintergreen (pink), licorice (dark grey) and chocolate (brown),” the company said in a release Thursday. 

Spangler says that true Necco Wafers connoisseurs might notice a richer cocoa flavor in the chocolate wafer. That’s because of an improvement in the cooking process.

The story behind Necco

Originally created by English immigrant Oliver Chase in 1847, Necco Wafers were carried by soldiers during the Civil War. Another nearly two and a half tons of the candy was shipped to the South Pole in the 1930s during explorations. 

The U.S. government also requisitioned a portion of the production during WWII for soldiers, saying the candy shipped well because they didn’t have to worry about it melting.

Kirk Vashaw, the CEO of Spangler Candy, said the comeback has been long-awaited by fans telling TODAY Foods he had people traveling out of their way to ask him about it.

“I was at a candy conference last fall, and someone drove for miles, all the way there, and sought me out to specifically ask about Necco Wafers,” he said. “We’re running as fast as we can and hope to keep up with demand this summer.”

Where to find them

Major drug stores like CVS and Walgreens are expected to sell them in June or July. They’re also expected in grocers like Kroger and Associated Foods.

A full list of retailers that will be stocking the wafers can be found here.

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