Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Canadian/American, Basketball Player-Affiliated, Colossal Gummy Candy

     While browsing the candy aisle in my local grocery recently, I saw something new.  Shaq-a-licious XL sour gummies.  And I was intrigued.  I enjoy gummies in general, and sour kinds are usually tasty, too.  A bigger gummy just means more of a (potentially) good thing.  Finally, I usually find Shaquille O'Neal to be amusing--he was clearly a great NBA center, he has definite charisma, a solid sense of humor, and is an appealing and knowledgeable sports analyst.  So I bit, and brought home a bag, which of course was also larger than normal.

     Shaq-a-licious gummies are a new phenomenon, having started in 2024.  The regular ones are simply in the shape of Shaq's face and head, and come in three flavors--peach, berry punch, and orange.  The sour ones I tried are in three distinct shapes--a diesel truck, a cactus, and a shamrock.  I was initially puzzled by these last two shapes, but a little checking revealed that "big cactus" and "big shamrock" are two more in the long list of nicknames for Shaquille.  The actual maker of this candy is a bit convoluted.  According to the official website, Shaq met with candy experts, and together they decided on the exact type of gummy he wanted.  (Or, put another way, Shaq employed "gummi artisans, who worked exclusively in the medium of gummi."*)  But, the bag's label mentions that the candies are actually made in Canada.  However, the brand listed is Fantastic Candy Brands, LLC, out of Broomfield, Colorado.  Moving on, when you consult the official website (www.shaq-a-licious.com) it's revealed that the ultimate owner of this candy is the giant Hershey candy company.  Which, in addition to Hershey's chocolates, also owns many other brands, such as Reese's, Kit Kats, Twizzlers, Jolly Ranchers, Ice Breakers (a chewing gum), Payday, Dot's Homestyle Pretzels, Pirate's Booty, Fulfil, and One, among others.  Hershey's owns product lines in the chocolate, snack, sugar-free, fruity chewy and refreshing, and plant-based categories.  If you're curious, Hershey's was started by Milton S. Hershey in 1894.  He even founded the Pennsylvania town of Hershey for his employees in 1903.

Shaq-a-licious XL gummies:  I'll list the three different kinds separately.

"Diesel":  Looked like the front of a diesel truck, and was colored yellow, with white dusting on it. It measured about 3.5 cm. by 2.5 cm (about 1.5 inches by 1 inch).  It was sour, pineapple-y, and pretty good.  Very chewy, and I enjoyed it.

"The Big Cactus":  Was a purple cactus shape, about 1.75 inches by 1.25 inches (or about 4.5 cm. by 2.75 cm.) with a white dusting on it.  This one was also very chewy, and also very good.  Sour, and a strong berryish flavor.

"The Big Shamrock":  This one was a green shamrock shape, about 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches (or about 4 cm. by 4 cm.).  Had a sour melon-ish flavor.  Also good.  Which surprised me, since I don't usually like melons, or melon flavored foods.  But the sour flavor helped, I think.  Chewy and tasty.  So, all in all, I would definitely recommend these gummies, and all three of the separate sour kinds, as well.

     

     Returning to the namesake, Shaquille O'Neal has had a busy, exciting life.  He was a center in the NBA for 19 season, and was named to the Hall of Fame.  He was part of 4 NBA Champion teams.  Total, in 1207 games (1197 starts) he averaged 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 0.6 steals per game.  Lifetime he's 11th in points scored, 16th in rebounds, 9th in blocked shots, and 13th in win shares, with 181.7.  Otherwise, he's been in a bunch of movies, sometimes as the star, and has been a successful sports analyst.  (It's a been confusing, but he's apparently been nominated for 3 or 4 Sports Emmys.)  Moving on, he's also been a podcaster, a philanthropist, and (along with this candy) a entrepreneur.  Shaq also has a doctorate.  I assumed this was an honorary one, but it's apparently legit, as he got a doctorate in education from Barry University.  Additionally, he was reportedly an undercover police officer, for a program targeting pedophiles.  Which sounds weirdly funny, as how could anyone not recognize a 7 foot, 1 inch tall, world famous athlete, but obviously this was Shaq trying to fool criminals online.  So good for Shaq--he seems to have used his athletic ability, and resulting fame to continue to bring joy to people, and to try to make the world a better place.  Although I don't hear great, or even decent things about his rapping.  And I think it's weird that some of his candy is shaped like his head.  But otherwise, good for him.

*  Simpsons ultra fans are correct--this is a reference to the "Homer Badman" episode, episode #9 of the sixth season, which featured a Venus de Milo made out of gummi candy.