Peanut Chews are a family of
candy bar
A candy bar is a type of portable candy that is in the shape of a bar. The most common type of candy bar is the chocolate bar, including both bars made of solid chocolate and combination candy bars, which are candy bars that combine chocolate wi ...
products manufactured by American company
Just Born. They consist of
peanut
The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), goober pea, pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics by small and large ...
s and
molasses
Molasses () is a viscous byproduct, principally obtained from the refining of sugarcane or sugar beet juice into sugar. Molasses varies in the amount of sugar, the method of extraction, and the age of the plant. Sugarcane molasses is usuall ...
covered in
chocolatey coating, and are available in original dark chocolatey flavor and milk
chocolatey coatings. The bars are small, similar in size to a "fun size" or Halloween-size bar. They are especially familiar to residents of
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, the
Philadelphia area
The Philadelphia metropolitan area, also known as Greater Philadelphia and informally called the Delaware Valley, the Philadelphia tri-state area, and locally and colloquially Philly–Jersey–Delaware, is a major metropolitan area in the Nor ...
, and neighboring Mid-Atlantic states.
Overview
Peanut Chews were developed and, during most of their history, manufactured by the Goldenberg Candy Company, which was founded by a
Romanian immigrant, David Goldenberg, in 1890. Peanut Chews were first introduced in 1917. The candies were originally developed for use by the U.S. military as a ration bar during World War I. The high-energy, high-protein recipe and unique taste made it popular with the troops.
[Kanaley, Reid]
Philly sweet's global reach.
''Philadelphia Inquirer'', September 18, 2006. In 1921, Harry Goldenberg introduced the first wrapped Peanut Chews candy for retail sales. In the 1930s, the candy was converted from a full-size bar to small individual pieces. In 1949, Harry and Sylvia Goldenberg (second generation) purchased the Peanut Chews Division of D. Goldenberg, Inc., to focus solely on the production of Peanut Chews candies. In 2003, Just Born, Inc., a
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Northampton and Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Bethle ...
–based candy company, purchased the Peanut Chews brand and the Northeast Philadelphia manufacturing facility.
Some
vegan
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a ve ...
s are fond of the original flavor, which contains no milk or egg products, as would be typical of most dark chocolate and some caramel candies. Just Born made changes in both the formulation and packaging of the candy and attempted to expand its market area beyond the Mid-Atlantic states. After realizing that the product was losing ground in its core market (roughly from
Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
to
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
), the company decided to re-emphasize its marketing within the home region. The Goldenberg's name was also restored to equal prominence alongside "Peanut Chews" on the redesigned candy wrappers.
In popular culture
On November 16, 2017, two individually wrapped Peanut Chews were awarded to any contestant who could finish an obstacle course during an episode of ''
The Chris Gethard Show''. The show's host,
Chris Gethard, referred to them several times as an "underrated candy".
On May 7, 2023, Goldenberg's Peanut Chews were featured prominently in an episode of ''
The Blacklist
''The Blacklist'' is an American crime thriller television series created by Jon Bokenkamp and developed by John Eisendrath. It stars James Spader as Raymond Reddington, an international criminal and one of the FBI's Most Wanted fugitives ...
'' (Season 10, Episode 11) where the main character,
Raymond Reddington, went into the store and asked for them by name stating, "Excuse me. Do you sell Goldenberg's Peanut Chews? I can never resist the temptation when in Philadelphia."
The Man in the Hat Transcript
The Blacklist Season 10, Episode 11.
See also
* List of confectionery brands
* List of chocolate bar brands
References
External links
Official website
{{Just Born
Brand name confectionery
Chocolate bars
Cuisine of Philadelphia
Just Born brands
Peanut confectionery
Products introduced in 1917
Candy