This past week I spent a fair amount of time sitting on airplanes, so I had plenty of time to think...and people-watch, which is one of my favorite past-times. From my seat I watched the parade of passengers board the flight and make their way down to the torture device otherwise known as an airline seat. There were all sorts of people, the young and old, the meek and bold, and ranged from chunky to hunky.But it wasn't until I watched a young dad looking after his young daughter when I found inspiration for this post. The youngster was probably 4 or 5 at most, and was generally well behaved, save for an impending cloud of boredom that hung over her seat 2B. She squirmed and squealed for a few minutes, until the father decided to take action. 
He brought forth a large bag of jelly beans, with the most stunning array of colors ever known to mankind. His daughter's face brightened at once, as she sat up straight, watching her dad dispense a single jelly bean at a time. I was so impressed with the power these magic beans seemed to hold over the child. As I sat watching over the top of my novel, pretending to read my mind wandered. What is it about jelly beans that people love so much? I've never considered myself a huge jelly bean fan, but as I peered across my book toward the bag of jelly beans my face must have betrayed me. All at once, the young girl said to me: "Would you like a jelly bean, Mister?" Startled, I tensed up and declined but the child must have been psychic, because she then said: "You don't have to worry, my hands are clean, Daddy just washed them for me" Before I could stop myself, I blurted out, "Yes I'd love some" and my hand mysteriously drifted across the aisle to retrieve a handful of this confectionery delight. She beamed as I accepted her offer and for the rest of the flight she was an angel.
Back home I started thinking about which flavors I liked best, so naturally I ran out to the store to pick up a bag of Jelly Belly jelly beans for research purposes. Here are my favorites:
Very Cherry
Green Apple
Cotton Candy
Toasted Marshmallow
Grape Jam
Buttered Popcorn
For those of you interested, here is a list of 50 Jelly Belly flavors...which are YOUR FAVORITES?? GO AHEAD, LEAVE A COMMENT WITH YOUR LIST.
* A&W Cream Soda
* A&W Root Beer
* Berry Blue
* Blueberry
* Bubble Gum
* Buttered Popcorn
* Café Latte
* Cantaloupe
* Cappuccino
* Caramel Apple
* Caramel Corn
* Chocolate Pudding
* Cinnamon
* Coconut
* Cotton Candy
* Crushed Pineapple
* Dr. Pepper
* French Vanilla
* Grape Jelly
* Green Apple
* Island Punch
* Jalapeño
* Juicy Pear
* Kiwi
* Lemon
* Lemon Drop
* Lemon Lime
* Licorice
* Mango
* Margarita
* Orange Juice
* Orange Sherbet
* Peach
* Peanut Butter
* Piña Colada
* Pink Grapefruit
* Plum
* Raspberry
* Red Apple
* Sizzling Cinnamon
* Strawberry Cheesecake
* Strawberry Daiquiri
* Strawberry Jam
* Tangerine
* Toasted Marshmallow
* Top Banana
* Tutti-Fruitti
* Very Cherry
* Watermelon
* Wild Blackberry
And this from the world of Harry Potter...
For all you Harry Potter fans, the Jelly Belly Company also makes "Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans", which are based on the jelly beans featured in the Harry Potter series of books and movies. They are usually sold by the lady on the Hogwart's Express. They are really gross flavors:
Booger
Black pepper
Dirt
Earthworm
Ear wax
Grass
Vomit
Soap
Sardine
Bacon
Rotten egg
Dill Pickle
Sausage
20 comments:
Bubble gum and cotton candy are the best!
I like cinnamon and island punch.
Mmmmm nothing beats Ear Wax and Rotten Egg for Easter!
Actually, the only Botts Bean I tried was 'grass' -- and yep, tasted just like a fresh mown lawn.
Can you imagine the taste-testers at the Jelly Belly Factory? One day it's Grape Jam and Popcorn, the next it's Vomit and Soap. Mmmmmmmmm.
Jelly Belly also makes Sport Beans, which are jelly beans with electrolytes, for distance athletes. They're a lot more fun that icky sport gels. :-)
My favorite are the "berry" flavors and always loved "cherry" as well. Wild blackberry...yum! I guess I can accept your liking of toasted marshmellow, but popcorn? I'm sorry, but that's just wrong. Not as wrong as some of the Harry Potter flavors, but wrong enough. ;-) I have to admit that I would NEVER be able to try a jellybean that has a "vomit" flavor. I have tried some of the other Harry Potter flavors just for kicks though.
I can't believe it....you've picked out all of MY favorites. Seriously, you have. And don't even get me started on the airplane thing....from one who spend their lives in one.
I love the jelly bean trick! I will have to try that one. As for my favorite flavors: coconut, cappuccino, peach, and watermelon, not together though.
My all-time favorite flavor is tangerine. Just pass me all the orange ones, please.
J.
I'm so old school.....very cherry and green apple....nothing else! ;-)
lol I have never been a fan of jelly beans...and the harry potter list reminds me why. As a parent of 2 gremlins, I can understand feeding your child to submission(at important times of course...lmao).
What a great story and a special little girl. Her parents have done a great job with teaching her some manors and etiquette. Which is lacking these days...
My favs are: Buttered popcorn, cherry, pink grapefruit, licorice, watermelon, sizzling cinnamon and caramel corn. You know, I even have a Jelly Belly dispenser on my counter...lol!
I received a bag of jelly belly beans for Christmas one year and I have to say those were my favorite flavors as well.
tc
Nice story about the little girl.
So many stories just like this going on around us if we just take the time to look around and absorb.
I'm addicted to Jelly Beans. It's the sugar. Juicy Pear is one of my favorite flavors. I make a tiny whole in the top of the bag so they come out very slowly. I try not to buy them at all, but they're especially good on flights or long car trips, as that Dad and little girl know.
Amazing that so many say they like buttered popcorn. There's something about a sweet candy that has a butter taste to it that I never liked. I actually like the othes you have chosen, including cinnamon, Dr. Pepper, and strawberry jam. The Jelly Belly factory is not too far from me just over the Illinois State line in Wisconsin, where they also sell "Belly Flops" at about half the cost.
Buttered Popcorn! I do now know why. Dirt and Grass too. Maybe it's the hippie in me.
The funnest part of Jelly Belly's is blindly taking one bean at a time and trying to figure out what the flavor is. I always flunk the red ones.
Cute story with the Jelly girl.
P.L. Frederick
Small and Big
I enjoyed reading this. Unfortunately jelly beans aren't that popular here in England but we have mostly jelly babies. Apparently they don't contain as many calories as chocolate if you're weight watching. My favourites are the red, strawberry flavour, ones.
Belly Flops? Sounds interesting. I love all the flavors, except those horrible Harry Potter disgusting candies.
I like pear, peach and Dr. Pepper. I can't seem to bond with the buttered popcorn flavor for some reason. I love the little answer key on the box it makes them more fun. My kidlet often tests me on my flavor IQ. ;)
Watermelon Jelly Bellys are by far my very favorite! I also like the berries, Raspberry, Blueberry, and Wild Blackberry.
I haven't tried the Harry Potter beans. To be honest, I'm completely terrified of eating them. I'm worried they'll turn me off of Jelly Bellys altogether.
i like the story about the girl. my favourite flavors are watermelon, (i like anything flavored watermelon) buttered popcorn, and the blueberry one. they are delicious!
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