As Delish editors, it's our job to have impassioned discussions about everything we eat. On any given day, someone in the office is up in arms about something, and last week, that someone was me. I found myself in a battle over which sweet licorice was better: Red Vines or Twizzlers. My coworkers were firmly #teamtwizzlers, while I was emphatically #teamredvines — something they chalked up to my California roots. (Red Vines is headquartered there.) But lemme tell you, this has nothing to do with my home state. Here are the real reasons Red Vines win me over every. single. time.
1. They're Hollywood's go-to licorice.
When Jimmy Kimmel made it rain candy during the 2017 Oscars, guess what fell from the ceiling? Yep, Red Vines. And these do not appear to be disappointed faces. I mean, Taraji P. Henson looks as excited as she would have if she'd won the award.
2. They aren't sell-outs.
Hershey Foods acquired Twizzlers in 1977, and while I can appreciate what the candy conglomerate's done for chocolate, there's something to be said about Red Vines' underdog mentality.
3. They're easier to eat.
When you buy a tub of Twizzlers, each strand comes individually wrapped, meaning it takes longer for the licorice to get from the tub into your mouth. The geniuses at Red Vines pack their jumbo jars with ready-to-eat candy.
4. They're SO much better for you.
I concede — the calorie count isn't all that different, with Twizzlers clocking in at 40 calories per piece and Red Vines at 35. But here's the list of ingredients in Red Vines: corn syrup, wheat flour, citric acid, artificial flavor, and Red 40. Now buckle up for Twizzlers': corn syrup, enriched wheat flour, sugar, cornstarch, palm oil, salt, artificial flavor, mono-anddiglycerides, citric acid, potassium sorbate, artificial color, mineral oil, lecithin, glycerin. And that's just the basic flavor.
5. They're way more popular.
On Twitter, Red Vines has more than 64,000 followers (more than 16,000 more than Twizzlers), plus they've got more fans on Facebook, too. But here's the kicker: Twizzlers doesn't even have an Instagram account, while Red Vines has the coolest one (with the hottest fans) ever.
6. They don't taste like plastic.
Try as Twizzlers might to convince us that they're strawberry flavored, the strands of licorice always have a slightly medicinal, plastic-y flavor.
7. There are so many ways to enjoy them.
Red Vines dedicates an entire section of their site to recipes involving the delicious strands. For example, did you know you could melt them down and make a cupcake filling? Or that you could bake them with cherries into a pie? Twizzlers' website on the other hand, provides these ridiculous ideas: pretend it's a magic wand, use them as drumsticks, swirl a strand in the air and pretend you're a helicopter. They're practically begging you not to eat their licorice.
8. They encourage you to think creatively.
Red Vines used to be called Classic Raspberry Vines, but since they're now just "Red" (and the raspberry taste is so subtle), you can convince yourself they're any flavor you want.
9. They don't make you choose sides.
Sometime way back in licorice history, some fool came up with the notion that not only could red licorice fans not also be black licorice fans, but that the two parties couldn't coexist. Twizzlers seems to support that notion: You can only buy those two flavors separately. That's not the case for Red Vines. The brand sells combo packs of their classic red and black strands.
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