Taiwan Today

Sometimes the most vivid childhood memories are those associated with candy, sweets swiped from the top of the cupboard or those bought with one’s first pocket money from the shop on the corner. For a whole generation of Taiwanese who today may be bouncing their grandchildren on their knees, the red and white box of Ten Best’s mint “cigarettes” must have a nostalgic effect. Salty plum candy, lollipops, toffees and caramels pulled out of sticky jars, firecrackers, wooden guns firing rubber bands, little clockwork robots, tops, whistles, rattles and bags of marbles. The choice is difficult. With the “cigarettes,” there was less risk of being scolded: no telltale coloring, and not too much sugar. Inside, eight little white sticks that broke between the teeth and melted in the mouth to release an agreeable sense of freshness. Originally, these sweets came in cigarette form, but one day someone figured that perhaps it was not a good idea to get kids used to the feel of a butt between their fingers, and the sticks have shrunk so much that in fact they no longer have much appeal once out of the box. Almost 70 years since appearing on the market, these peculiar sweets remain icons of popular culture. The extraordinarily dated pictures that cover the box are the mark of an authenticity that can no longer be found: a blonde boy in check shirt, scarf and cowboy hat on the front; a red-haired girl with braids and a huge bow on the back. What American magazine could have inspired the artist to create this masterpiece back in 1943? The makers also have a way with words. A dozen or so years ago they changed their name from Chunghsing to Ten Best (shibeisu), which means “ten times faster” in Chinese—but if you really do say the name that fast, it sounds special indeed. (SDH) (This article first appeared in Taiwan aujourd’hui.)