Everything You Need for a Candy Taste Test Party

If you are ready to become everybody's favorite host or hostess, plan an exciting candy taste test party!

You've probably heard of a cheese, chocolate, or wine tasting party. However, these delectable treats aren't the only indulgence suitable for mindful tasting. Enter: candy tasting parties! More and more people are jumping on the candy taste testing train and are getting excited about these parties. 

Like wine, chocolate, or cheese, candy can be multilayered, rich, and sophisticated and can offer the tester a complex range of flavors to experience. And the apparent reasoning behind candy tasting parties— is it is delicious.

Planning a candy taste testing party is fun, but knowing where to start can be tricky, so we're filling you in on all the sweet details! 

Continue reading to learn everything you'll need for your tasty gathering.

How to Plan a Candy Taste Test Party

STEP 1 — Make the Guest List

Whether you're getting together with friends or are having a family night, keeping your guest list relatively small is ideal. Not only do you want your guest to be able to discuss the candies without it becoming too chaotic, but you also do not want to bust your budget to buy a bunch of candy. 

Remember, it doesn't take much to make a party, so aim for a dozen or fewer people. That way, as the host or hostess, you will be able to chat and catch up with each of your guests in a meaningful way.

STEP 2 — Buy Good, Unique Candy

When you are stocking up on candy for your tasting party, it can feel a bit overwhelming. Hundreds of thousands of candies have various flavors, textures, and origins. Chances are, if you grew up in the U.S., you've had many popular candy bars and treats. 

So you might want to mix it up and buy a bit different candy. Or at least find some common candies with a unique twist. Another fun place to start when buying candy for your tasting party is to buy candies from various countries and see how other parts of the world like to cure their sweet hankerings.

In terms of how much candy to buy, you want to buy enough for each of your guests, but there's no need to go crazy. An ideal amount of each candy to provide to each of your guests is somewhere around one ounce. 

Remember, we are here to taste test, not give your friends and family a reason to visit their dentists. If you're concerned about people being hungry, providing some simple snacks that lean towards the savory side is perfectly fine and thoughtful.

You may want to grab candy from several different categories:

• Caramels
• Gummies
• Taffies
• Hard Candies
• Chocolates
• Licorice 

STEP 3 — Find a Palate Cleanser

Candy is a treat, but its richness and sweetness can be overwhelming, especially when enjoyed. This is why a palate cleanser is essential to any taste testing party. Have your guests effectively rinse their mouths between each sample to get each candy's full effect, taste, and flavor. Some good food to cleanse your palate include:

• Plain white bread or French bread
• Apple slices
• Cold lemon water

STEP 4 — Give the Party Structure 

Chances are high that at least one of your guests, if not more, has never attended a candy tasting party. So, give them some direction by having everyone experience their first candy sample together. Give people time to talk about the flavors they taste and give them a little run down on what they are eating.

While you are tasting the candies, it can be fun to hear about how each of them was made, the maker's origin story, or any details you can provide about the candy that might be useful in helping your guests get an idea of what they're eating. Give your guests pens and some note cards so they can write down their thoughts.

At the end of the night, you can have your guests vote on their favorite candy, their least favorite, the one they thought was the most interesting, and more.

STEP 5 — Have Fun!!

As you make your party preparations, remember that the primary purpose of your candy taste test party is to have fun! Letting the stress and pressure of planning an event overwhelm or get the best of you is easy, but don't let it! 

The overall goal for you and your guests is to potentially learn something new about candy, how it was made, and the exciting flavors you get to experience. Don't let yourself get too hung up on getting every detail just right. It's okay if you don't know exactly what you're doing. You have the three "Cs" that make for an awesome night: great company, great conversation, and great candy.

Besides, practice makes perfect. So if you don't nail it the first time, it's a great excuse to try again and again until you master the candy tasting party. Then, you'll throw them at that point because you're so good at it and it's a fantastic way to spend an evening.

Let Candy Jan Help With Your Candy Taste Test Party

Make planning your candy taste test party easy with a sampler bundle from Candy Jan!

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Not only are freeze dried candies necessary for your candy tasting parties, but they are the perfect addition to your everyday pantry and even your food storage inventory. Try it for yourself and understand the hype behind freeze dried candies.

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