Pucker up. Sour Punch tops Halloween candies in survey of California

Move over, chocolate. Sour Punch Straws is the most popular Halloween candy in California, according to Innerbody.

The health news website said more people in the fruit-producing state searched for the fruit-flavored, sugar-coated candy on Google Trends in 2021-22 than any other treat.

Sour Punch Straws also was the most popular candy on Google Trends in Arizona and Texas, Innerbody said.

The candy’s history goes back to 1990 when American Licorice Co. started to sell the straws. The company went on to release Sour Punch in other forms: bites in 2000, twists in 2003 and shapes in 2016.

For Halloween, the company is selling its Sour Punch Spooky Straws, which comes with apple, grape and tangerine flavors in each bag.

Popular Halloween candies across the nation

Elsewhere, Charmed Blow Pop was the most popular candy in six Southern states, according to Innerbody’s analysis of the Google Trends data. The candy tied with Jolly Ranchers as No. 1 in Arkansas.

Jolly Ranchers also topped the list in Colorado, Oklahoma, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland and Washington, D.C. It tied with Hot Tamales in New Mexico.

Back on the West Coast, a fruit-flavored candy, Starburst, rose to the top in fruit-producing Washington. It also dominated Virginia, Wisconsin, Ohio and Massachusetts.

Starburst tied with Candy Corn in the corn-growing state of Nebraska.

Salt Water Taffy rode a wave of popularity to No. 1 on states on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts: Oregon and New Jersey. It tied with 3 Musketeers and Sour Patch Kids in Delaware.

The biggest surprise on the list might be Life Savers, which proved to be the most popular candy in Connecticut.

But perennial Halloween chocolate treats such as Snickers, Hershey Kisses, Kit Kat, M&Ms, Butterfinger, Almond Joy, Reese’s Cups and Milky Way were No. 1 in various states.

Most popular Halloween candies, state-by-state

Innerbody’s analysis of the Google Trends data shows the following as the most popular Halloween candies.

• Alabama: Candy Corn
• Alaska: Almond Joy
• Arizona: Sour Punch Straws
• California: Sour Punch Straws
• Colorado: Jolly Ranchers
• Connecticut: Life Savers
• Delaware: 3 Musketeers, Salt Water Taffy and Sour Patch Kids
• Hawaii: Kit Kat
• Idaho: Swedish Fish
• Illinois: Dubble Bubble Gum and Kit Kat
• Indiana: Jolly Ranchers
• Iowa: M&Ms
• Kansas: Jolly Ranchers
• Kentucky: Butterfinger
• Maine: Reese’s Cups
• Maryland: Jolly Ranchers
• Massachusetts: Starburst
• Michigan: Kit Kat
• Minnesota: Snickers
• Mississippi: Butterfinger
• Montana: Sour Patch Kids
• Nebraska: Candy Corn and Starburst
• Nevada: Kit Kat
• New Jersey: Salt Water Taffy
• New Mexico: Jolly Ranchers and Hot Tamales
• New York: Dubble Bubble Gum
• North Dakota: Kit Kat
• Ohio: Starburst
• Oklahoma: Jolly Ranchers
• Oregon: Salt Water Taffy
• Pennsylvania: Hershey Kisses and Swedish Fish
• South Dakota: Lemonheads and Milky Way
• Tennessee: Tootsie Pops
• Texas: Sour Punch Straws
• Utah: Skittles and Twix
• Virginia: Starburst
• Washington: Starburst
• Washington, D.C.: Jolly Ranchers
• West Virginia: Hershey Kisses
• Wisconsin: Starburst
• Wyoming: Snickers

Second opinions on Halloween candy

Sour Patch Kids ranked No. 1 on Utah-based retailer Taffy Shop’s list for the most popular Halloween candies in California.

For a look at popular Halloween treats in 2023, watch the video attached to this story.

Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at dave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0232.