{Irish potato candies from the Pennsylvania General Store}
Interestingly, Irish potato candy is neither Irish nor does it contain potatoes. Instead, it is a traditional Philadelphia confection made up of a coconut cream filling that is dusted with cinnamon to resemble a small potato. Prior to moving to Philly I'd never heard of this unusual St. Patrick's Day candy (the origins of which seem to be shrouded in mystery), but I figured in the interest of getting to know my new town, I'd better give it a try.
{Irish potato candies from Maron Chocolates}
Using this blog post as a guide, I picked up two varieties of Irish potato candy, one package from the Pennsylvania General Store (PGS) in the Reading Terminal Market (which deserves a post of its own -- stay tuned!) and another package from Maron Chocolates (MC) on Chestnut Street. The MC candy was more marble-shaped and harder in texture than the PGS candies, which were softer in texture, larger, and slightly more potato-shaped. I preferred the taste of the PGS candies, which were more coconutty in flavor. The candies from Maron Chocolates were a bit too sweet and buttery for my taste. Maron Chocolates is located in an ice cream shop (Scoop De Ville), and apparently later this week they will be selling ice cream mixed with the candies -- I think it may be more enjoyable as a mix-in rather than as something eaten on its own.
Irish potato candy is definitely unique and a once-a-year kind of treat. Though I'm not sure I'd seek out a box the next time St. Patrick's Day rolls around, at least now I can say I've given 'em a try!
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