New England Has a Sweet Tooth

Picture four different fillings in a single chocolate bar. That's Sky Bar, which Necco introduced in 1938. This episode features an interview with Louise Mawhinney, who rescued the beloved candy bar when Necco filed for bankruptcy in 2018 and produces it today. For more information: Sky Bar (www.skybarcandy.com) Duck Soup (www.quackquackquack.com) New England Sweets (www.rednickel.com/shop) Susan...

Leave it to Mainers to add potatoes to their chocolates. In this episode, host Susan Mara Bregman focuses on Needhams -- the state's historic chocolate-covered potato coconut candies. Malaika and Gerard Picard, who own the Maine Needham Company, join the conversation.  Susan Mara Bregman is the author of  New England Sweets: Doughnuts, Bonbons, and Whoopie Pies  (The History Press, 2025). For more...

In this episode of 'New England Has a Sweet Tooth,' host Susan Mara Bregman explores the fascinating history of whoopie pies, the quintessential Maine treat. Joined by Patrick Myers, who oversees Maine's annual Whoopie Pie Festival, they delve into the origins of this sweet treat. The discussion touches upon Maine's Whoopie Pie Festival and the importance of the whoopie pie in Maine's culture. Sus...

Welcome to New England Has a Sweet Tooth -- a podcast that explores everything from the origin of Necco Wafers to the stranger-than-fiction story behind Maine’s signature potato-coconut candies. We’ll walk along Confectioner’s Row in Cambridge, discover who invented the doughnut hole, and revisit the time the Fluffernutter almost became the state sandwich of Massachusetts.