Roman candy ages well (Part III)

So I pulled the Little Ninja up behind the mule-drawn Roman Candy cart and disembarked.  "What'll it be?" the man in the cart asked.  "What have you got?" I said.

"Strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate."

I know the lady of the house likes chocolate, so I ordered two sticks in that flavor.  The man pulled off 18 inches twice and rolled them and wrapped them in wax paper and handed them to me.  I handed over two dollars.   They were warm to the touch.

We sampled about a half stick that evening.  It was delicious.  It was as chewy as the candy claims to be in red letters on a white background: Roman Chewing Candy.

We revisited the leftovers of that stick about a week later.  It is still delicious.  It is harder now, more the consistency of New England salt water taffy.  It's a good treat.  I'm glad I have a whole stick left to savor at my leisure since I don't often happen upon the Roman Candy cart while I am on patrol.

New Orleans: where centuries coexist

Where else but in New Orleans can you drive down a busy street in car traffic and find a mule-drawn cart parked by the side of the road?  Since 1915, the Sam Cortese cart has been plying this city's streets selling Roman Chewing Candy, taffy, in three flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.

If you see the cart, you pull up behind and step up to the window.  The current price is $1.00 for a sixteen inch stick hand rolled and wrapped in wax paper.  It is warm to the touch.  It lasts a long time too, keeping fresh and full of flavor.

The cart is a marvel of craftsmanship.  It is a little dinged and nicked but buying a stick of taffy is like standing in a picture postcard.  Only in New Orleans, my friend, only in New Orleans.

Roman candy, New Orleans (part I)

Since I don't live uptown of Canal Street anymore, I don't travel St. Charles Avenue as much as I used to.  I was there the other day though.  What to my wondering eyes did appear?  A mule-drawn cart selling hand-rolled taffy.

The mule was drowsy, indifferent to the traffic speeding by much faster than his four legs could carry him and the cart behind.  If I had to bet money on a race between the cart and the St. Charles Avenue streetcar, I'd put my cash on the mule.