The Surprising Sweet Tooth of John Wayne: His Favorite 100-Year-Old Candy Bar

John Wayne’s Secret Guilty Pleasure: The Legendary Abba-Zaba Taffy

Celebrity Stories, Retro Candy, Pop Culture History, Food & Nostalgia

Iconic Hollywood actor John Wayne is best remembered as the ultimate cinematic cowboy, a legendary resident of Newport Beach (who inspired the name of Orange County’s John Wayne Airport), and a fan of whiskey and prime steaks. But behind his rugged onscreen persona, "The Duke" harbored a surprisingly sweet secret: he was obsessed with Abba-Zaba candy bars.

> "He’s always portrayed as this tough cowboy, but he also had a tremendous heart," revealed his daughter, Marisa Wayne, in a 2016 interview with Closer magazine. "He used to keep a stash of Abba-Zaba taffy in his drawer."

While Wayne was famous for gifting custom coffee mugs to his movie co-stars, his coveted stash of chewy taffy was reserved strictly for his children—and himself.

What is Abba-Zaba Candy?

Recognizable by its vintage yellow-and-black checkered wrapper—reminiscent of a classic NYC taxi cab—Abba-Zaba is a unique confection consisting of chewy white vanilla taffy wrapped around a rich peanut butter center.

Because of its famously dense, ultra-chewy texture, fans enjoy eating it in different ways:

* The Microwave Trick: Zapping it for a few seconds turns the taffy into an ooey-gooey dessert.

* The Freezer Method: Freezing the bar hardens it up for a crisp, snappy bite.

(A quick word of warning for anyone with delicate dental work: eat this famously sticky treat with caution!)

A Brief History: Over 100 Years of Nostalgic Candy

Abba-Zaba isn't just a retro treat; it's a century-old classic that has outlasted generations of Hollywood stars.

* 1922: First introduced by Colby and McDermott. Early packaging featured insensitive artwork depicting African tribesmen.

* 1950s: Acquired by the Cardinet Candy Company, which rebranded the product with the iconic taxi-themed design used today.

* 1978: Purchased by the Annabelle Candy Company, which continues to manufacture the classic treat.

Despite changing corporate hands over the last century, the core vanilla-and-peanut-butter recipe has remained virtually unchanged for over 100 years. While Annabelle briefly experimented with spin-off flavors—such as Green Apple and Peanut Butter & Chocolate—the original classic remains the undisputed fan favorite.

Where to Buy Abba-Zaba Today

If you want to taste a piece of American pop-culture history, the original vanilla-peanut butter Abba-Zaba is still available today. You can routinely find multi-packs on Amazon (typically around $18 for a 6-pack) as well as specialty online candy shops.

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