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Whitman's Samplers vs. See's

Non-Gumpians stick with Whitman’s

An unmarked lid allows Mrs. See and her customers to free-associate, sweets-wise. - Image by Rick Geary
An unmarked lid allows Mrs. See and her customers to free-associate, sweets-wise.

Dear Matthew Alice: Why is it See's chocolate boxes do not have a grid deciphering the flavor of each piece of candy? Is this some kind of perverse experiment Mary See perpetrates on the unsuspecting masses, or is this her idea of some sick, twisted joke? — J.R. Mason, Cardiff

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Pa Alice once marketed a line of chocolates already bitten into so people could tell what was inside. This unfortunate elaboration on the “grid” idea went nowhere. So for those without a Gumpian sense of adventure toward life/chocolates, stick with Whitman’s Samplers, machine-made sweets always packed in predictable combinations, clearly identified inside the box lid. Preprinted boxes are economically feasible only when you sell millions of identical units.

An unmarked lid allows Mrs. See and her customers to free-associate, sweets-wise, and put whatever they like into a box. If this idea seems frivolous or frightening, here’s another solution. Make a note of the shape of each piece of candy and the configuration of its decorative topknot of chocolate coating, then identify what’s inside. Next time you confront a piece with that same shape and decoration, consult your chart. Confectioners have flavor-coded the tops of their dipped chocolates for decades. Each maker has his own patterns, so you’ll have to analyze every brand. But for the easily startled and overly cautious, I’m sure it will be time well spent.

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Melissa Etheridge, The Imaginary Amazon

Events April 1-April 3, 2024
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2024 continues to impress with yellowfin much closer to San Diego than they should be

New rockfish regulations coming this week as opener approaches
An unmarked lid allows Mrs. See and her customers to free-associate, sweets-wise. - Image by Rick Geary
An unmarked lid allows Mrs. See and her customers to free-associate, sweets-wise.

Dear Matthew Alice: Why is it See's chocolate boxes do not have a grid deciphering the flavor of each piece of candy? Is this some kind of perverse experiment Mary See perpetrates on the unsuspecting masses, or is this her idea of some sick, twisted joke? — J.R. Mason, Cardiff

Sponsored
Sponsored

Pa Alice once marketed a line of chocolates already bitten into so people could tell what was inside. This unfortunate elaboration on the “grid” idea went nowhere. So for those without a Gumpian sense of adventure toward life/chocolates, stick with Whitman’s Samplers, machine-made sweets always packed in predictable combinations, clearly identified inside the box lid. Preprinted boxes are economically feasible only when you sell millions of identical units.

An unmarked lid allows Mrs. See and her customers to free-associate, sweets-wise, and put whatever they like into a box. If this idea seems frivolous or frightening, here’s another solution. Make a note of the shape of each piece of candy and the configuration of its decorative topknot of chocolate coating, then identify what’s inside. Next time you confront a piece with that same shape and decoration, consult your chart. Confectioners have flavor-coded the tops of their dipped chocolates for decades. Each maker has his own patterns, so you’ll have to analyze every brand. But for the easily startled and overly cautious, I’m sure it will be time well spent.

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Here's something you might be interested in.
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2024 continues to impress with yellowfin much closer to San Diego than they should be

New rockfish regulations coming this week as opener approaches
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San Diego Reader 2024 Music & Arts Issue

Favorite fakers: Baby Bushka, Fleetwood Max, Electric Waste Band, Oceans, Geezer – plus upcoming tribute schedule
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Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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