Sure, Candy Corn is Gross, But You’re Still Allowed to Love it

Let’s just get one thing out of the way: yes, I am completely aware that candy corn is just sugary wax. I will readily admit that it’s kind of gross when you think about it too much. I will even admit that it has a weird, fake taste. But guess what? I still love it. And that’s okay.

During the rest of the year, I forget that candy corn exists. But every year, come September 1st, it’s like a light switches on and suddenly I’m craving it again. I try to resist, but by mid September, I always give in and pop out to the store to buy some. I only buy enough to last me until Halloween — because candy corn has that kind of sweetness you can only deal with for a short period of time — and I ration it out in my head, because the line between enjoying candy corn and eating enough to cause a stomachache is a fine one. And I always eat it in sections, from white, to orange, to yellow. It’s my little sugary, waxy tradition, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Maybe it’s because Halloween is my absolute favorite day of the year and because I love all things autumnal, but I just feel like candy corn has a sort of magical childhood nostalgia factor to it. Despite candy corn’s blatant weirdness (in all these years I still haven’t figured out what candy corn actually tastes like, and it’s supposedly meant to resemble corn kernels, but I honestly don’t see it?), there’s something comforting about it.

But do a quick Google or Twitter search for candy corn, and you’ll find some vastly differing opinions—people either fully love candy corn and look forward to it every year, or they hate it with a passion. More than anything, you’ll find a lot of candy corn hate. And considering candy corn is still one of the most popular Halloween candies, sometimes I think it’s not just because of the taste.

I think a lot of it stems from all the pumpkin spice hate that reemerges every fall—there just seems to be a lot of overlap between people who hate on the entire concept of pumpkin spice and other things that are deemed “basic” and people who are constantly sharing their angry candy corn hot takes.

I am a proud candy corn apologist, not because I want to try to convince you candy corn is good; you really don’t have to like it. I don’t care! It’s because candy corn brings me—and a lot of other people—a little bit of seasonal joy, and there’s nothing wrong with that.