A rundown of the most absurdist candy cane flavors

For years and years, candy canes have been a comfortable, fixed component of the holiday landscape of iconic images: their brittle snap, their cling-wrap plastic exterior, their red-and-white colors indicative of their flavoring and a clear reference to Santa Claus himself. 

They’re also multi-purpose and often not relegated merely to “candy” status. Some merely let the candy cane sit in their mouths a la a lollipop, some crush them and use them to top lattes or lava cakes, others never open nor eat them whatsoever and instead use them for decorating or DIY ornaments. Regardless of how they’re used, they represent a sort of holiday-adjacent stability amidst the tenuousness of everyday life. They are one of the many, many items that reliably come back around, year after year, holding a place in both your home and heart.

When I was younger, I was partial to those brightly colored canes (they were also usually blue, yellow and green in addition to the red and white) that had a more sweet, amorphous flavor instead of the pronounced minty flavor. Since then, though, the world of candy canes is more diverse than ever. For those who fancy themselves real candy cane enthusiasts, the wackier the flavor, the better.

Some are (clearly) immediately for “shock value,” while others are more akin to this meme, posing a potentially interesting flavor that might actually be kind of delicious. Boasting everything from pickle and Caesar salad, to butter and even shiitake mushrooms, today’s candy canes run the gamut of gag gifts and stocker stuffers to actually, surprisingly tasty treats.

One thing remains static regardless of flavor, size, or color: the “hook” shape of the cane itself. While the colors have shifted exponentially, some canes are enormous and some are tiny and the flavors are clearly quite diverse, the shape itself hasn’t changed in quite some time.

The history of the candy cane is pretty fuzzy — filled with conjecture and speculation — but the shape itself is thought to have to do with fashioning the “sticks” to instead mimic a shepherd’s staff, which was apparently the custom decided upon back in a church in 1600s Germany, as stated by Thought Co. As The Conversation notes, though, it’s thought that the original candy canes were actually purely white and the customary red stripes weren’t added until years later, probably around “the turn of the 20th century.”

Since then, the candy cane itself remained relatively static, until recent years, when notions of differing, unique flavors (i.e caramel macchiato) to help expand the flavors of the cherished candy began to enter the genre, soon followed by “ew”-type novelty gifts, perfect for the holiday season. And the rest is history.

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A company called Archie McPhee’s boasts a bunch of whacky flavored candy canes, including flavors such as rotisserie chicken, “hamdy” canes, ketchup, macaroni and cheese, brisket, pho (!) and “clamdy canes.” They also sell candy canes that are based on “trendy” foods like pickles and bacon. They even sell a “Bah, Hambug!” candy cane which has, according to their website, “no flavor, color or Christmas spirit.”

Some other flavors sold by other companies are molded after sodas like Dr. Pepper, strange ingredients like wasabi, or candy or snack-flavored iterations like Swedish Fish, Hot Tamales, Nerds, Sour Patch Kids or Oreos. Other flavors include Funfetti, gravy, birthday cake and Froot Loops. There’s even a kale-flavored option!

There really is no limit to the absurdity of the flavors. 

At their core, though, what do they offer? A classic candy cane is nostalgic, retro, respectable. But that doesn’t mean that there’s no space for these silly flavored canes.

These novelty flavors are good for a joke, a chuckle, or a silly Secret Santa gift with an affordable price tag. No one is going to be selling you on the fact that an especially ludicrously-flavored candy cane deserves praise for its culinary nuance, but that’s okay. These are a fun way to celebrate the holidays, your favorite food, or simply an item that isn’t even opened or tried, just appreciated for its sheer outrageousness. They’re also perfect stocking stuffers, really. 

Celebrate as you wish! I won’t begrudge you if that includes gifting all of your family, friends and loved ones a medley of pho and sardine candy canes.