Biting into a Goo Goo Cluster for the first time is an experience for any Southerner’s memory book. The confection made from a fluffy marshmallow center that’s enveloped in a coat of caramel and roasted peanuts and covered in melted chocolate is enough to make us shed a tear of pure delight. Rumor goes that the candy was named after the first thing a baby says, because “people will ask for it from birth.” They’re just that good.
Invented over 100 years ago by the Standard Candy Company in Nashville, Tennessee, the Southern candy was originally made in an old-fashioned copper kettle and only sold individually out of glass jars on select drugstore counters, before becoming one of the most well-known candy bar clusters in all the Southeast. So much so, the two most common things people from other regions ask those visiting Tennessee: “Did you go to the Jack Daniels Distillery?” and “Did you try a Goo Goo Cluster?”
Now, the company can make and package over 20,000 Goo Goo Clusters every hour—which is good, because like the sugar content, demand is high. More still, you don’t have to limit your indulgence to just one flavor, with peanut butter, pecan, and even a build-your-own premium Goo Goo Cluster.
From pecan logs to Goo Goo Clusters, Southerners are serious about their candy. Happy snacking!
