YUM YUM

Nothing says love like the combination of sugar, corn syrup, cornstarch, flavors, gums and color… especially when it comes pressed in the form of a little heart.

Today, the wonderful candy magicians behind NECCO conversation hearts introduced their new sayings for 2009. Foodies rejoice! This year’s sayings are cute and culinary: Recipe 4 Love, Table 4 Two, Stir My Heart, Top Chef, Sugar Pie, My Treat, Yum Yum, Honey Bun, Sweet Love and Spice It Up.

To promote the gourmet theme, NECCO introduced them with the help of chefs from around the area including Joanne Chang, of Myers+Chang and Flour Bakery. Chang’s sticky sticky buns at Flour are the stuff legends are made of and have even been featured on the Food Network.

Upon reading the news about this year’s hearts I ran to the drugstore to immediately buy my own and see for myself. Incidentally, I think it is fate that the NECCO factory is 18 minutes away from my apartment.

Pouring out my first Valentine’s Day treat, I am slightly disappointed by the lack of new phrases in my sweetheart’s box. Only a few Yum Yums, Sweet Loves and one Stir My Heart were found sparsely added to last year’s phrases and the classics.

Did you know that according to NECCO, eight billion hearts are produced each year? That’s enough Valentine’s Day wishes to stretch back and forth between Rome, Italy to Valentine, Arizona twenty times. Did you even know that there was a Valentine, Arizona? Alas, I still only got a few of the new ones. I look forward to eating a Table 4 Two in the future.